CDC director backs Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shots

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Friday that she endorsed an agency advisory committee's recommendation for the use of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older. 

Earlier in the week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also moved to approve the vaccine for the same age group, giving the product full licensure. 

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The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for individuals ages 16 and older in August. 

While the FDA licenses vaccines, the CDC makes recommendations about how they should be used. 

The CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met Friday to hear summaries of medical studies showing the vaccine is working against the virus and that there is no evidence of new safety concerns. 

While Moderna has been linked to rare cases of myocarditis, pericarditis and anaphylaxis, the CDC said that benefits for the vaccine "far outweigh any possible vaccine-associated risks." 

Its advisers voted unanimously, 13-0, to continue to endorse the shots. 

The decision comes more than a year after the committee's interim recommendation. 

"We now have another fully approved COVID-19 vaccine," Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "If you have been waiting for approval before getting vaccinated, now is the time to join the nearly 212 million Americans who have already completed their primary series. CDC continues to recommend that people remain up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, including getting a booster shot when eligible."

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Tens of millions of Americans have already received Moderna shots, following its emergency authorization by the FDA more than a year ago.

The CDC's vaccine tracker shows that 205,042,012 Moderna doses have been administered in the U.S. 

212.5 million people are fully vaccinated and 89.3 million have received a booster dose, according to its data.

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The vaccine – which is now being marketed under the name Spikevax – is licensed as a two-dose series for people 18 and older.

Under earlier emergency use authorizations, additional doses can be given to people with weakened immune systems or as half-dose boosters.

As the omicron variant of the coronavirus has spread quickly throughout the nation, officials have urged Americans to stay "up to date" with their COVID-19 vaccines. 

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Data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center now shows more than 75.3 million confirmed cases in the U.S. and over 901,000 deaths.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.