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Pfizer asks US FDA to authorize booster shots for all adults 18 years old and over

The Xinhua reported that drug makers Pfizer and BioNTech said on Tuesday that they had asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize booster shots of their COVID-19 vaccine for all adults 18 years old and over, seeking to broaden who is eligible for a third shot.
The move came as part of a long-running debate among experts over who should be eligible for booster shots. An FDA advisory panel voted against a request for all adults to have a booster in September, in what was "a blow to the (Joe) Biden administration's earlier announcement of widespread shots," said The Hill.
Currently, people who get the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines six months ago or longer may get a booster if they are 65 or older; at risk of severe COVID-19 from a breakthrough infection because of a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or pregnancy; or at risk because of living conditions or work.

The companies said the submission was based on results of a Phase 3 trial involving more than 10,000 participants. It found boosters were safe and had an efficacy of 95 percent against symptomatic COVID-19 compared with the two-dose vaccine schedule in the period when the highly transmissible Delta was the dominant strain.
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The new request from Pfizer and BioNTech came as "federal health officials have made clear their concern about waning immunity as the nation heads into the winter months," reported CNN. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine itself was already authorized for use in people from ages 5 to 15, and approved for people aged 16 and older.
The FDA has not scheduled a meeting of its independent advisory committee for November, suggesting the agency may make a decision on the Pfizer-BioNTech on its own without seeking external advice, reported National Public Radio (NPR).
Read more: UK health minister says health workers required to get COVID vaccine
On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated that 224,257,467 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 67.5 percent of the whole U.S. population; fully vaccinated people stood at 194,168,611, accounting for 58.5 percent of the total. A total of 25,368,545 people, or 13.1 percent of fully vaccinated group, have received booster shots.
Source: xinhua
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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