A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel will vote on whether to back a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine later today after two days of debate between scientists from the U.S. and abroad.
The 19-strong Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously in favor of a Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shot yesterday after several lengthy presentations on data that shows how an extra dose of vaccine can counteract the waning effectiveness of current shots over time.
Despite all members voting “yes” after lengthy presentations, many members still had concerns over the data they saw from Moderna and the Israel Health Ministry, worried that it did not reflect a fully-rounded picture, and answer questions about the necessity of the boosters – and who should get them.
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WATCH: WHO Regional Director slams richer countries which ‘make a mockery of vaccine equity’
A furious World Health Organization boss in Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, slammed the world’s richest countries yesterday for “making a mockery of vaccine equity” yesterday after it was revealed that less than five percent of African people are currently fully vaccinated, compared to two-thirds of American aged over 12.
U.S. Trade Official blames inability to boost vaccine production on lack of support from allies
Katherine Tai said yesterday that the U.S. remains committed to loosening intellectual property rules so COVID-19 vaccines can be produced more widely but the U.S. cannot “will something into being” without all members of the World Trade Organization offering their support too.
The Biden administration said in May that it supported waiving the intellectual property rights for COVID vaccines to boost production of the shots and Tai confirmed work was being done behind the scenes, even if it didn’t appear to be “from the public vantage point”.
FULL STORY: U.S. Says It Supports Vaccine Production Waiver, But All WTO Member States Must Agree
Community COVID transmission remains high despite cases dropping, CDC urges caution
New infections are “continuing to decrease but the overall level of community transmission in the U.S. is high”, the agency tweeted, alongside a timeline map showing the shockingly rapid spread of the virus across the U.S. since March 2020.
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Experts are preparing to present the latest data on J&J booster shots later today before a crucial vote on booster shots.
Follow Newsweek’s liveblog throughout Friday for all the latest.
