Moderna suggests booster shots, citing clinical data

• Moderna's phase 3 clinical trial looked at breakthrough cases from July to August 2021.
• The study documented 162 breakthrough cases in the participant group vaccinated over a year ago, while only 88 occurred in the group vaccinated during the early part of this year.

The big picture: The Biden administration is hoping to offer booster shots eight months after a second dose beginning this month.

Why it matters: Booster shots have become a source of controversy. Vaccine makers such as Pfizer are in support of making them widely available while some medical ethicists and scientists are skeptical, per Axios' Bob Herman.

• “The increased risk of breakthrough infections in [phase 3] study participants who were vaccinated last year compared to more recently illustrates the impact of waning immunity and supports the need for a booster to maintain high levels of protection," said Moderna's CEO Stéphane Bancel.
• In a paper written in The Lancet, scientists — including two FDA vaccine leaders — wrote that "current vaccine supplies could save more lives if used in previously unvaccinated populations than if used as boosters in vaccinated populations."