Food and Drug Administration Approves Shipment of Millions of Moderna Doses After Delay
After investigating potential quality control issues at an Indiana packaging plant, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a large shipment Moderna’s updated COVID-19 booster shot. Inspectors were determining whether vaccine vials were contaminated by unsterile conditions, but ultimately found no safety issues. The FDA clearance allows the agency to release 10 million doses of the Moderna’s bivalent booster as the US faces a nationwide shortage of the updated vaccine. Health officials advise people who have received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to get the bivalent booster dose. It is called bivalent because it protects against both the original strains and the newer omicron variants. Currently, Moderna’s bivalent booster is authorized for adults 18 years and older. Pfizer/BioNTech’s bivalent booster is authorized for people 12 years and older.
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