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Moderna announced Thursday that it has begun development of a potential vaccine that combines a COVID-19 booster and a seasonal flu vaccine.
“Today we are announcing the first step of our new respiratory vaccine program with the development of a single dose vaccine that combines a COVID-19 booster and an influenza booster,” said Moderna CEO, Stéphane Bancel, in the press release.
Bancel previously told CNBC in April that he hoped to have a booster ready and available by the fall.
“I want to make sure there are booster shots available in the fall so that we protect people as we move into the next fall and winter season in the United States,” he said. he stated at the time during his appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box”.
After Moderna announced plans to produce a combined plan, its market share increased by more than six percent.
In early September, Moderna announced that it had submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the approval of a booster of its COVID-19 vaccine administered six months after a patient received a second dose of his vaccine at two doses. diet.
Biden administration officials said they plan to start offering booster shots of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines from September 20, pending approval from an FDA panel. The agency has already approved booster shots for some immunocompromised people.
Moderna completed its submission to receive full approval for its vaccine from the FDA last month. Moderna’s vaccine is currently working under emergency use authorization.
The FDA granted full approval for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine last month, two days before Moderna completed its submission.
Although the United States appears poised to begin administering COVID-19 boosters, world leaders have criticized the move as many other low- and middle-income countries continue to struggle to administer vaccines to their populations.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), has called for a moratorium on booster injections until next year.
“We have been calling for equity in vaccines from the start, not after richer countries have been taken over,” Tedros said at a press conference on Wednesday. “I will not remain silent when the companies and countries that control the global vaccine supply think the world’s poor should be content with leftovers.”
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