US regulatory authorities approved the updated COVID vaccine on Wednesday, August 27, while limiting its use in many people.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has thus authorized the application of the three new vaccines for people over the age of 65.
Considered more vulnerable to severe forms of Covid-19.
These are the Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax vaccines.
Among young adults and children, vaccination has been limited to those with at least one health condition that puts them at increased risk, such as asthma or obesity.
For children under 5, the Pfizer vaccine has been withdrawn, and the emergency authorization has been revoked.
However, healthy children under the age of 18 could be vaccinated after consulting a healthcare professional.
This policy is the most restrictive by the federal government since vaccines became available.
For US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this series of measures aims at four major objectives: ending the (health) emergency, suspending the mandatory Covid vaccination, maintaining vaccine availability for those who want it, and requiring placebo-controlled trials from companies.
If the revised vaccines target a more recent version of the constantly evolving virus, their delivery should begin immediately.
But it will be days or weeks before many Americans know if they will be able to get vaccinated, as access depends on various decisions made by federal health advisers, private insurers, pharmacies, and state authorities.
