Was New COVID Vaccine Booster Tested on Only 8 Mice? What We Know

Newsweek ^ | Sep 13, 2023

[nickcarraway]

New COVID boosters that will be available by week's end are receiving some scrutiny due to clinical trials being performed on mice and not humans.

The boosters made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday. On Tuesday, a panel of advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted 13-1 in favor of its broad use for individuals 6 months and older due to fears of increased respiratory illnesses nationwide this fall and winter.

The new vaccines will be available at national pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens, and at local pharmacies, doctors' offices and public health departments based on location.

These updated boosters will be the first released to the public without any humans involved in the clinical trials, raising questions from some about the efficacy.

In June, the FDA requested manufacturers to develop a new booster for the fall season to target the then-dominant XBB.1.5 subvariant. The new bivalent shots fight the BA.5 omicron subvariant.

"We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19," CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in a statement.

Cohen, in a New York Times op-ed published Wednesday, acknowledged that coronavirus will likely always be with us, but that serious illnesses, hospitalizations, deaths and long-term effects can and should subside with the new science—which also can help defend against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and flu viruses.

"Some viruses, however, change over time," she said. "This coronavirus is one of them.

[mewzilla]

Pfizer's previous Covid booster was tested on 8 mice only. I'm glad that Pfizer took note of the criticism, and conducted a significantly more extensive trial (25% larger sample size) to ensure the safety and efficacy of the new booster 💪

[pax_et_bonum]

Thanks, ransomnote for reminding me that it was quite impolite for me not to thank nick, too!

Thank you for posting this thread, nickcarraway!

😊