FDA Shortens Interval for Booster Dose of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine

FDA announced on Jan 7, 2022, that it had amended it’s Emergency Use Authorization for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to shorten the time between the completion of the two-dose primary vaccination series and the booster dose. For individuals aged 18 years or older, the time has been reduced from six months to five months.

"The country is in the middle of a wave of the highly contagious omicron variant, which spreads more rapidly than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and other variants that have emerged," said Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in the agency’s press release. "Vaccination is our best defense against COVID-19, including the circulating variants, and shortening the length of time between completion of a primary series and a booster dose may help reduce waning immunity. Today's action also brings consistency in the timing for administration of a booster dose among the available mRNA vaccines. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated—it's never too late to get your COVID-19 vaccine or booster."

Common side effects reported by individuals who received a booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, and chills. Additional side effects, as well as the risks of myocarditis and pericarditis, can be found on fact sheets provided by FDA.