Moderna asks FDA to authorize additional booster shot for all adults

The big picture: The move towards a second booster shot is an attempt to combat waning immunity that occurs several months after a first booster shot, notes the Washington Post, which first reported that Pfizer-BioNTech were seeking an emergency authorization.

Between the lines: Moderna's request is broader than Pfizer and BioNTech's, which sought to authorize a second booster for people 65 and older.

State of play: Fourth doses are already authorized for some immunocompromised people.

What they're saying: The request "was made to provide flexibility" to healthcare providers, Moderna said in a statement.

• Moderna president Stephen Hoge previously said that a fourth shot would likely only be necessary for elderly and immunocompromised people but not for the general public.