Federal vaccine advisors today approved a third booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine on an emergency use basis, but only for the most vulnerable groups, which includes those age 65 and older and people at high risk of severe disease.The final vote passed unanimously on an 18 to 0 vote.
An initial vote on broader third doses in those age 16 and older failed 16 to 2, based on questions about safety and whether third doses would do much to decrease transmission.The nonbinding decision from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) will influence how the White House rolls out booster doses next week, part of stepped-up efforts to tamp down the nation's Delta