Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) reports that it received an application for the Pfizer booster shot on 17 November 2021.
According to the local drug watchdog, the evaluation of data on the safety and efficacy of the third dose will begin.
This comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency authorisations for booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines on Friday, 19 November 2020.
This implies that all people in the United States are now eligible for a booster shot six months after the second dosage, which can be administered at any time after that.
“Pfizer’s latest request says results from a Phase 3 clinical trial with more than 10 000 participants found that the third dose was safe and effective,” affirmed SAHPRA.
Booster doses are administered to a vaccinated population that has completed a primary immunisation series. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people who have received one or two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, depending on the product, qualify for the booster.
This is done when immunity/clinical protection falls below a threshold judged adequate, with the goal of restoring vaccine effectiveness. Last month, SAHPRA and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) approved vaccine booster doses for all healthcare workers who received the first shot as part of the Sisonke Study.
This came after the FDA advised a second dosage of the J&J vaccination for all Americans 18 and older who had previously received a single dose.
The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) collaborated with the National Department of Health (NDoH), the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, CAPRISA, and the pharmaceutical industry to grant early access to J&J earlier this year.
Since the rollout began this month, 81,840 J&J booster shots have been delivered to healthcare workers, according to the latest data from the Department of Health.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Will you be going for your booster shot when it is available?
Share your views in the comment section below.
RELATED NEWS
