CDC Extends Dosing Interval for mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines in Young Men

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said males aged 12 to 39 may get their second messenger-RNA (mRNA)-based COVID-19 shot eight weeks after receiving an initial dose rather than the earlier recommendation of three or four weeks.

The updated recommendation is meant to minimize rare incidences of heart inflammation in younger males receiving an mRNA vaccine, the CDC said.

But the agency said that a shorter period between a first and second dose — three weeks for Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine, four weeks for Moderna’s jab — remains the recommended interval for those who are immune-compromised, adults who are 65 years old and up and those who are at greater risk of severe disease or who require immediate protection because of where they work.