Moderna vaccine. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images
Moderna has asked the FDA for an emergency authorization that would allow all adults to receive a second COVID-19 booster, the company announced on Thursday.
Why it matters: The request is likely to intensify an ongoing scientific debate over how long protection from the two most-used vaccines in the U.S. lasts in the face of new variants.
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.