Simplified Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccination Available
April 28th, 2023 | ArchiveOn April 18th, the FDA authorized changes to the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of Moderna and Pfizer bivalent vaccines that simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals. Under the new guidance, most unvaccinated individuals can receive one dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine rather than multiple doses of the single-strain vaccines originally developed. Additionally, individuals age 65 and older, or those who are immunocompromised and received a single dose of a bivalent vaccine, may receive a booster dose at least four months after their first dose. Most individuals who have received a single dose of the bivalent vaccine are not currently eligible. The FDA’s recommendations for unvaccinated children ages 6 months through 5 years of age remain unchanged; however, children in this age group who have received one, two, or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine may receive a bivalent vaccine, but the doses given will depend on the vaccine received and their vaccination history. The FDA’s communication also noted that the monovalent COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are no longer authorized for use in the United States. You can read the complete, simplified guidance from the FDA here.
