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A panel of top US scientists advising the Food and Drug Administration has recommended approving Moderna’s application to provide third shots of its Covid-19 vaccine, lending some momentum to the US’s booster rollout.
The 19 members of the panel all voted in favour of allowing Moderna to supply third doses of its vaccine to people who had their second doses at least six months ago and are over 65, have underlying health conditions, or whose jobs put them at high risk of contracting severe Covid-19.
But members of the committee made clear they are so far unpersuaded by the case to offer boosters to all adults.
Last month the FDA approved a third shot of the BioNTech/Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for vulnerable Americans but stopped short of approving the shot for all of the adult population as well, a decision that was a severe setback to the Biden administration’s plans for a widespread booster campaign.
Stanley Perlman, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa, said: “I support this [application] because we’ve already approved it for Pfizer and I don’t see how we can possibly not approve it for Moderna and not have most US folks be completely confused.”
The FDA will make a final decision in the coming days on whether to give the go-ahead for Moderna booster.
Read more
Why Pfizer has won the Covid vaccine race but isn’t getting credit.
Thanks for reading FirstFT Americas. Here is the rest of today’s news — Gordon
Five more stories in the news
1. Citi and Morgan Stanley ride dealmaking wave The US banks benefited from a surge in dealmaking that bolstered third-quarter revenues and offset pressure from low interest rates and weak loan demand. Bank of America reported yesterday that investment banking fees rose 23 per cent to $2.2bn, helping it achieve overall double-digit revenue growth.
2. LinkedIn closes down China site Microsoft announced yesterday it was closing the Chinese version of its popular networking website LinkedIn and replacing it with a stripped-back job-board service called “InJobs”. The decision marks the departure of the final major US social media company from China.
3. Ex-Boeing pilot indicted A US federal grand jury has indicted a former Boeing chief technical pilot, Mark Forkner, for allegedly deceiving aviation regulators evaluating the safety of the 737 Max jet. Faults with the flight control system were critical in two 737 Max crashes in five months over 2018 and 2019 that killed a combined 346 people.
4. Fumio Kishida pledges to steer Japan away from Abenomics Japan’s new prime minister has pledged to move the country away from neoliberal fundamentalism, in an interview with the FT. As he prepares for a general election on October 31, Fumio Kishida criticised his own party’s failure to deliver broad-based growth under the Abenomics programme.
5. Snipers kill six as violence erupts in Beirut Six people were killed and dozens injured after unknown gunmen opened fire on a rally by Lebanon’s powerful Hizbollah and others in Beirut, unleashing the worst violence in the capital in years as tensions rose over an investigation into the 2020 port blast that left more than 200 people dead.
Coronavirus digest
The US stock market had its best day since March on Thursday, as investors’ worries about inflation and potential interest rate increases were tempered by upbeat corporate earnings reports.
More than 40 Brazilian politicians and officials, including President Jair Bolsonaro, are expected to be recommended for indictment next week when a congressional inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic wraps up.
Economists slashed Germany’s growth forecasts for this year from 3.7 per cent to 2.4 per cent, blaming supply bottlenecks and the lingering impact of the pandemic.
The days ahead
US bank earnings Goldman Sachs’ third-quarter earnings will provide a bellwether for investment banking, which has thrived on the mergers and acquisitions boom. PNC Financial Services also reports today.
FDA meets to discuss booster jabs A panel of advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to recommend Johnson & Johnson’s one-dose vaccine over the coming days.
Fresh EU-UK trade talks begin The EU’s Brexit commissioner Maros Sefcovic meets UK Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost in Brussels today to discuss the substantial differences that exist between the two sides over how to treat trade between Northern Ireland, Britain and the EU following Brexit. The FT is reporting several EU member countries are telling bureaucrats in Brussels to prepare for a trade war with the UK.
A marathon of marathons Runners in Paris, Lisbon and Toronto will take the starting line on Sunday. If you enjoy a gruelling run — like the FT’s Laura Noonan — there are more than 300 marathons to choose from in October, more than any other month this year, according to tracker Global Marathon.
What else we’re reading
‘There are choices to be made’ After weeks of infighting, most Democrats in Washington acknowledge that Joe Biden’s ambitious $3.5tn “Build Back Better” spending plan will have to shrink in order to get through Congress. Here are some of the Democrats’ options for cutting the size of the package.
Where are the world’s worst port delays? It is not only the US that is suffering shipping delays. Cargo has been disrupted in ports from Rotterdam to Shanghai and Hong Kong. There are now 584 container ships stuck outside ports around the world. Here are the worst affected routes.
Stablecoin investors due for a wake-up call The critical attention being paid to companies such as Tether is a welcome development, writes Gillian Tett. Tether represents about half the stablecoin universe, and it is often described as the reserve currency of the crypto world. But its reputation is not as stable as its name suggests.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: adopting a global carbon price is essential A common approach to the cost of polluting is a fair and straightforward solution, writes the director-general of the World Trade Organization. Fragmentation risks generating trade frictions and unpredictability for businesses seeking to decarbonise.
Life, work and the pursuit of happiness As the coronavirus pandemic eases, people are fed up, burnt out and quitting their jobs. Freed from the daily grind, they are also seeking fulfilment in new careers. But there is a dark side beneath the data about “the Great Resignation”, writes Andrew Hill.
Food & drink
Looking for something to cook this weekend? Try this salmon salad with herb sauce from Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich at Honey & Co. Crisp leaves and cooling cucumber, creamy avocados, pearlescent flakes of salmon — this salad ticks all the boxes.
Source: Economy - ft.com
