The Associated Press reports the Food and Drug Administration has authorized another COVID-19 booster for people age 50 and older.
The FDA’s decision opens a fourth dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines to that age group at least four months after their previous booster.
Until now, the FDA had cleared fourth doses only for people 12 and older who have severely weakened immune systems. The agency said this especially fragile group also can get an additional booster, a fifth shot.
The latest expansion, regardless of people’s health, allows an extra shot to millions more Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to weigh in.
The move comes at a time of great uncertainty. COVID-19 cases have dropped to low levels after the winter surge of the super-contagious omicron variant. CDC data shows that two vaccine doses plus a booster still provide strong protection against severe disease and death.
But an omicron sibling is causing a worrisome jump in infections in Europe, and spreading in the U.S., even as vaccination has stalled. About two-thirds of Americans are fully vaccinated, and half of those eligible for a first booster haven’t gotten one.
Pfizer had asked the FDA to clear a fourth shot for people 65 and older, while Moderna requested another dose for all adults “to provide flexibility” for the government to decide who really needs one.
The FDA set age 50 as the threshold for both companies. As for the immune-compromised, only the Pfizer vaccine can be used in those as young as 12; Moderna’s is for adults.
There’s limited evidence to tell how much benefit another booster could offer right now. FDA made the decision without input from its independent panel of experts that has wrestled with how much data is required to expand shots.
The newest booster expansion may not be the last: Next week, the government will hold a public meeting to debate if everyone eventually needs a fourth dose, possibly in the fall, of the original vaccine or an updated shot.
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