Today the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second booster shot for Americans over 50 and for those 12 years and older who are immunocompromised."Current evidence suggests some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals.
Based on an analysis of emerging data, a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could help increase protection levels for these higher-risk individuals," said Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a press release.The authorization is for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines only, and both shots should be administered at least 4 months after the first booster dose.The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows that 65.5% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 76.9% have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 44.8% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose.It's unclear if the Omicron BA.2 subvariant now dominant in the United Kingdom—will cause a surge in new COVID-19 cases in the United States, but some experts believe Americans most at risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes should get a booster.BA.2 now makes up more than half of sequenced samples in the United States, or 55%, up from 35% last week.CDC green-lights boostersFollowing the FDA's announcement, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said it also now recommends that immunocompromised Americans and older adults get a second booster dose.
The agency also encouraged adults who had received one or two Johnson & Johnson (J&J) doses to get an mRNA booster, as well."Today, CDC expanded eligibility for an additional booster dose for certain