UK Authorizes 3rd COVID-19 Vaccinations

The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced its Authorization for a third booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine today.

In a press release issued on September 9, 2021, Dr. June Raine, MHRA Chief Executive, said, 'We are committed to getting safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines to the UK public. This means ensuring that existing COVID-19 vaccines can continue to be used in the most effective way possible.'

'We know that a person’s immunity may decline over time after their first vaccine course.'

'I am pleased to confirm that the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) and AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) can be used as safe and effective booster doses.'

'It will now be for the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JVCI) to advise on whether booster jabs will be given and, if so, which vaccines should be used.'

The JVCI recently published two updates during September 2021:

• JCVI issued updated advice on September 3, 2021, regarding COVID-19 vaccination of children aged 12 to 15.
• The JCVI advised on September 1, 2021, that people with severely weakened immune systems should have a third vaccine dose as part of their primary COVID-19 vaccination schedule.

Additionally, the NHRA says the 'current supply of the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and AstraZeneca has been authorized on an emergency use basis. Both vaccines are also authorized under Conditional Marketing Authorisations (CMAs), but changes to these would follow a different procedure.

Vaccines covered by CMAs can also be used as part of deployment programs via “off-label” use under a prescriber’s direction.