CDC panel unanimously endorses Moderna and J&J Covid boosters, sending to director for final approval

CDC panel unanimously endorses Moderna and J&J Covid boosters, sending to director for final approval

An influential Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Thursday unanimously recommended boosters of and 's Covid-19 vaccines, sending it to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky for final approval. The agency's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting recommended the Moderna booster for elderly people and at-risk adults six months after they complete their primary series of shots, bringing it in line with the distribution plan for Pfizer and BioNTech's booster. It also endorsed J&J boosters for everyone 18 and older who received the initial shot at least two months ago. More than 39 million Moderna recipients and nearly 13 million J&J recipients may be eligible for a booster dose as early as Friday, according to a slide presented by the CDC during the meeting. Booster shots have been a contentious topic for scientists — in and outside the government — especially as many people in the U.S. and other parts of the world have yet to receive even one dose of a vaccine. The World Health Organization has pleaded with wealthy countries to hold off on distributing boosters, and some scientists say they aren't convinced most Americans need them right now. Before the vote, some members said they