Britain’s watchdog approves AstraZeneca and Pfizer's jabs to be used for third doses
By Emily Craig Health Reporter For Mailonline 09 Sep 2021, updated 15:31 09 Sep 2021 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9973503/amp/Britains-watchdog-approves-AstraZeneca-Pfizers-jabs-used-doses.html The MHRA said AstraZeneca and Pfizer were 'safe and effective' as third doses It paves way for Government's vaccine advisory panel to sign off on boosters Advisers are meeting today to decide who will be eligible in the autumn rollout The Pfizer and AstraZeneca were found to be safe and effective for booster jabs by the UK's medicines watchdog Britain's medicines watchdog today approved the AstraZeneca and Pfizer Covid jabs to be used as third doses, as the country edges closer towards green-lighting a booster vaccine programme this autumn. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that the two vaccine brands were 'safe and effective' when administered months after the initial two injections. Moderna's vaccine, the third jab being used as part of Britain's standard two-dose rollout, has not been approved as a booster, but only because not enough studies have looked at giving the jab as a third dose to healthy people. The development now paves the way for the Government's vaccine advisory panel – which is separate from the MHRA – to decide who should get boosters. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is meeting today to determine the scope of the programme. It will also decide if people should stick to the brand they were originally vaccinated with, or if they would benefit even more if they topped up with a different vaccine. But the panel is not expected to sign off on plans for a mass booster rollout to the 32million people over the age of 50 in the UK, which had previously been touted. Instead, it is understood that only the very elderly, people with serious health conditions and immunosuppressed people will be included. Professor Adam Finn, an expert in child health and JCVI member, gave the biggest hint yet that that would be the case today. During a round of interviews just hours before the meeting began, he said it was 'not clear' that the UK is seeing waning protection from the vaccines. He conceded that the jabs may have lost some of their potency in protecting against infections, but insisted they were doing their main job in keeping people out of hospitals. The MHRA said the boosters should be given at least eight weeks after the second 'when the potential benefits outweigh any potential risks', but the JCVI will make a final decision on the dosing interval. Pfizer boosters can be given to anyone, even if they have been double-jabbed with AstraZeneca or Moderna, the agency said. But a third dose of AstraZenca can only be administered to those who have already received that jab, according to the guidance. -- _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] https://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
