By Michael Erman
NEW YORK, Feb 4 (Reuters) – U.S. health officials on Friday
said they are considering lengthening the recommended interval
between the first two doses of the most widely used COVID-19
vaccines to eight weeks to lower the risk of heart inflammation
and improve their effectiveness.
Dr. Sara Oliver, an official at the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), said the agency was considering
making the recommendation for Moderna
Committee on Immunization Practices, a panel of outside advisers
to the CDC.
In the United States, the recommended interval between the
first two shots of Pfizer’s vaccine is three weeks and for
Moderna’s, four.
In her presentation https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-02-04/12-COVID-Oliver-508.pdf,
Dr. Oliver said an extended interval appears to reduce the risk
of already rare cases of myocarditis, and that the lowest rates
of heart inflammation following vaccination occur if the
vaccines are given eight weeks apart.
Myocarditis is a rare side effect seen with mRNA vaccines –
the technology behind both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna
shots. It appears to be more common among young men.
Oliver also said the extended interval appears to increase
vaccine efficacy.
Canadian health officials had presented data to the group
earlier in the day about why they had settled on a recommended
eight-week interval between shots of the two vaccines.
(Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
(([email protected];))
Keywords: HEALTH CORONAVIRUS/USA VACCINES (PIX)
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