Yes, This Is One of the Benefits of mRNA Vaccines, But...No.

CDC Head: FDA Could ‘Streamline’ Omicron Booster Authorization As ‘Much Of The Vaccine’ Is ‘The Same’ | The Daily Wire

I think a slow down, if not a pause, would be a good idea at this point.

On Sunday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with host Martha Raddatz. During the segment, Raddatz asked Walensky about how quickly the FDA could approve a variant-specific vaccine from Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson.

“One of the things about a booster, about a variant-specific booster — I know Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson say they could all do this fairly quickly, within three months, but then you have FDA approval,” Raddatz said. “Is there any world where you can see that moving much faster given we’ve already been through this?”

Walensky said that while she would “have to defer to the FDA” on certain things, the organization is “already in conversations about streamlining the authorization … of an Omicron-specific vaccine, partially because much of the vaccine is actually exactly the same and really it would just be that mRNA code that would have to change.”

“So, those conversations are ongoing and certainly, FDA will move swiftly, and CDC will move swiftly right thereafter,” Walensky added.

 

I think that’s scary. I think we doing a lot of reacting right now. And reacting very rarely makes for good business decisions long term. And when you’re business is healthcare, that’s especially scary.

I’d rather we slow down a little at this point, instead of speeding up.

But I am not the head of the FDA, unfortunately.