Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer Boosters Still Targeted To Start In 2 Weeks, But Moderna's May Lag
The U.S. will likely start to widely distribute Pfizer Covid-19 booster shots during the week of Sept. 20, but the rollout for Moderna鈥檚 vaccine could be delayed, White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said Sunday. The Biden administration has announced plans to offer third doses to people who received the Pfizer and Moderna shots, pending approval from public health officials. The U.S. recommends an additional shot eight months after the second dose. Only the Pfizer vaccine booster may get Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approval in time for a rollout the week of Sept. 20, Fauci said on CBS鈥 鈥淔ace the Nation.鈥 People who received Moderna shots may have to hold off for longer as the company waits for regulators to sign off on a third dose. (Pramuk, 9/5)
A disagreement between the Biden administration and Moderna over booster shot details has thrown a wrench in the administration's plans, and may result in the booster effort beginning with only some Pfizer recipients later this month. How the dispute shakes out could have implications for the global vaccine supply chain 鈥 as well as for Moderna's bottom line. (Owens, 9/4)
Additional doses of Covid-19 vaccines are likely rolling out in the United States later this year. It raises the question: What will the side effects from a booster shot look like? Is there a higher or lower risk of an adverse event, compared to the earlier regimens? (Joseph, 9/7)
In related news 鈥
Lawmakers are pushing for billions in federal funding to boost global COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing in Democrats' coming $3.5 trillion package, arguing that the Biden administration needs to do more to fight the pandemic worldwide and prevent dangerous new variants from forming. A group of 116 Democratic lawmakers, including聽more than聽half of the House Democratic caucus, wrote to congressional leaders and President Biden last month, calling on them to聽back $34 billion to increase global manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and to help distribute the vaccines聽around the world. (Sullivan, 9/7)
The Biden administration on Friday unveiled a sweeping new biosecurity plan, outlining a $65 billion proposal to remake the nation鈥檚 pandemic preparedness infrastructure in the wake of Covid-19. The new spending would represent one of the largest investments in public health in American history: During a press briefing, Eric Lander, the White House science adviser, likened the proposal to the Apollo program of the late 1960s. (Facher, 9/3)