The FDA today authorized Americans over the age of 50 to receive a second COVID-19 booster shot, even though many top infectious disease experts questioned the need before the agency’s decision.
Pfizer had asked for authorization for a fourth shot in patients over age 65 years, while Moderna wanted a booster to be available to all Americans over 18. The FDA instead granted authorization to both companies for those over 50 and anyone 18 or older who is immunocompromised.
That past action worries Gandhi, who calls it confusing, and says it may have contributed to the fact that less than half of Americans have since chosen to get a booster. Gandhi says she's concerned the FDA's deliberations could be swayed by Moderna and Pfizer's influence and that"pharmaceutical companies are going to have more of a say than they should in the scientific process."
“We see waning of effectiveness, antibody levels come down, and certainly effectiveness against Omicron comes down in 3 to 6 months,” Burton said. “The natural history, from what we're seeing around the world, is that BA.2 is definitely here, it's highly transmissible, and I think we are going to get an additional wave of BA.2 here in the United States.”
On March 23, outgoing White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients said the federal government hadfor the immunocompromised to get a fourth dose"and, if authorized in the coming weeks, enough supply for fourth doses for our most vulnerable, including seniors." Schaffner says that while it would be nice to"have a booster on the shelf," the US needs to put more effort into creating a globally-coordinated process for ensuring that vaccines match circulating strains and that they are manufactured on a timely basis.
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