FDA approves 'mix and match' strategy for all COVID-19 vaccines approved in US

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a 'mix and match' strategy for all vaccines authorised in the country.

The agency said in a statement, "The FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of the use of a single heterologous booster dose outweigh the known and potential risks of their use in eligible populations." 

With the highly infectious Delta variant of coronavirus causing breakthrough infections among those who are fully vaccinated, the move will pave way for millions of Americans to ensure additional safety.

Moderna and Johnson and Johnson have joined the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that had been granted authorisation for booster shots six months ago.

Now, people living in the United States have the freedom to choose a different shot for their booster dose than their original inoculation.

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The advisory panel had conducted a study those that are 65 or older, over 18 and at high risk for Covid, or over 18 and have high occupational exposure.

The study was conducted by the US National Institutes of Health on 458 participants and showed that that "mixing and matching" booster shots of different types was safe in adults.

The Biden administration has announced a detailed plan for the vaccination of children aged 5-11 years.

''The vaccine will have packaging available in smaller configurations that will make it easier for physicians’ offices and other smaller, community-based providers to offer the vaccine to kids and their families,'' it said in a statement.

Last month, the White House had announced plans to bolster its vaccination campaign, focusing mainly on booster shots.

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This had added pressure on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA to approve more vaccines.

As per the CDC, approximately 11.2 million people in the United States have received a booster dose.

The mix and match strategy has been supported by several countries including the United Kingdom that has widely backed the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.