Federal regulators authorized second booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines on Tuesday for everyone 50 and older. The move came after the Biden administration decided it should seek to bolster waning immunity in older Americans against severe disease in case the virus sweeps the nation again in the coming months.The Food and Drug Administration said that those who are eligible can get the additional shot at least four months after their first booster. The agency also authorized a second booster for individuals 12 and older with certain immune deficiencies after the same interval.
The decision means that tens of millions of Americans are now eligible for another shot. Federal health officials initially considered limiting second boosters to those at least 60 or 65 years old. But at a news briefing, Dr. Peter Marks, who oversees the F.D.A.’s vaccine division, said a lower age limit made more sense because so many Americans over 50 have underlying medical conditions that put them at risk.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would update its vaccine guidance to reflect the F.D.A.’s action. While she did not outright recommend a second booster for everyone now eligible, Dr. Rochelle P Walensky, the C.D.C.’s director, said the option for the added dose “is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease.”
Dr. Marks went a bit farther, saying those 50 and older who got their first booster more than four months ago, “should seriously consider getting another.”
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