Older adults may receive the option for a secondary COVID-19 vaccine booster as early as next week, according to two sources familiar with the Biden Administration plans.
Americans ages 50 and older may have the choice to receive a second COVID-19 booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccines next week.
The New York Times first reported the development on Friday, and said that the move would be made without "recommending outright" that the group get one, citing "several people familiar with the plan."
The move comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an uptick of COVID-19 in wastewater samples across the United States. A subvariant of Omicron, known as BA.2, has spread throughout Europe and other parts of the world. It now accounts for nearly 35 percent of COIVD-19 cases in the United States.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical advisor and head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on March 20 there will likely be an “uptick” in U.S. cases this spring, but “hopefully, we won’t see a surge. I don’t think we will.”
Earlier this month, Moderna asked the FDA to authorize a fourth Covid shot for all adults, following their competitor, Pfizer-BioNTech’s request for a second booster for people 65 and older.
Protections from the initial boosters weakened after a few months, according to both companies.
Other countries, including the U.K, Chile, Isreal, and Sweden, already allow for a fourth vaccine for certain vulnerable populations.
According to sources familiar with the plans, a decision from the Food and Drug Administration on whether to authorize a second booster could come early next week.
The Food and Drug Administration announced this week that its vaccine advisory committee is slated to meet on April 6 to discuss a framework for future COVID-19 vaccines.
