The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older and some high-risk Americans, paving the way for a quick rollout of the shots. Bryan Wood reports.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized a booster shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday for Americans 65 and older and some considered high-risk.
The third jab is to be given at least six months after completion of the second dose.
The FDA authorization would include people most vulnerable to the disease and in high risk frontline jobs.
President Joe Biden announced in August the government’s intention to roll out booster shots for people aged 16 and older this week, pending approval by the FDA and CDC.
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel could vote on Thursday on the use of a third shot of the vaccine, according to an agency official earlier in the week.
The FDA overwhelmingly rejected a call for broader approval, with top members split on the need for boosters for the general population.
Some of the agency's senior scientists argued that current evidence does not support boosters for all those aged 16 and above.
Some countries, including Israel and Britain, have started rolling out booster campaigns.
REUTERS