Here’s why the new dosing schedule may be optimal for some people, especially males ages 12–39 years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has modified its COVID-19 vaccine dosing recommendations, advising that for the young and healthy — especially males — it may be better to allow eight weeks between the two Pfizer or Moderna shots than the approved three- or four-week interval.
with Dr. Monica Gandhi at the University of California-San Francisco. “I just hope they take the next step and be more public about it.”in a presentation to its advisory panel of vaccine experts. Panelists at that Feb. 4 meeting all supported the longer dosing interval but it wasn’t clear afterward if or when any change would be made. Pfizer and Moderna representative voiced no objections or concerns about extending time between shots.
“I did find the data that was presented from Canada . . . and from around the world very persuasive, that an extended interval particularly in younger persons at increased risk of myocarditis would be particularly beneficial,” said panelist Dr. Katherine Poehling, a pediatrician at Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina. “When the pandemic is receding, this is a particularly good time to do a prolonged interval.
The CDC’s Dr. Sara Oliver told the agency’s vaccine experts that the potential benefit in modifying the guidance would be to increase vaccinations among some 33 million unvaccinated people ages 12-39 who might feel more comfortable getting the shots if risks were even lower.
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