The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the regulatory body in the area in the European Union, recommended on Monday (4) that a third dose of the vaccine against Covid-19 Comirnaty, from the BioNTech/Pfizer partnership, can be administered to persons 18 years of age and older.
According to a statement released by the EMA, the agency’s Committee on Human Medicines (CHMP) evaluated Comirnaty data that showed an increase in antibody levels when a booster dose is given approximately six months after the second dose in people from 18 to 55 years of age. “Based on these data, the committee concluded that booster doses can be considered at least six months after the second dose for people aged 18 and over,” the report noted.
The EMA added that the committee is evaluating data for a possible third-dose recommendation of Spikevax, Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine, but that analysis has not yet been completed.
In the same statement, the EMA noted that the CHMP concluded that a third dose of Comirnaty and Spikevax could be given to people with severely weakened immune systems for at least 28 days after the second dose. The recommendation comes after an analysis found that an extra dose of these immunizers increased the ability to produce antibodies against the new coronavirus in organ transplant patients with weakened immune systems.
“Although there is no direct evidence that the ability to produce antibodies in these patients protected against Covid-19, the extra dose is expected to increase protection in at least some patients. The EMA will continue to monitor any data that emerges about its efficacy,” said the agency, which added that the package inserts for both vaccines will be updated to include this recommendation.
source https://pledgetimes.com/european-agency-recommends-3rd-dose-of-pfizer-for-over-18s/
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