FDA Grants Emergency Use Authorization for Covid-19 Booster for Some

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said yesterday that it would grant emergency use authorization for a booster dose on Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. The booster is for people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease and people whose jobs put them at risk of infection. In a statement released yesterday, Dr. Peter Marks the Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research said “the FDA considered the committee’s input and conducted its own thorough review of the submitted data to reach today’s decision.” He added “we will continue to analyze data submitted to the FDA pertaining to the use of booster doses of Covid-19 vaccines and we will make further decisions as appropriate based on the data.”

On Friday, vaccine advisers to the agency unanimously recommended emergency use authorization for a booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine for people 65 and older and those at risk of severe disease that would be administered six months after getting the first two doses. Pfizer initially asked for FDA approval to give it’s booster vaccine to everyone 16 and older six months after they are fully vaccinated with the first two shots and argued that data shows the vaccine’s immunity starts to wane after six months and giving the booster would restore immunity safely. Advisers with the CDC will meet today to act on the FDA’s decision, they’ll need to give approval before any booster doses are officially given.