Assuming the FDA uses the panel’s recommendation, that means the plan to offer booster shots on Sept. 20 may well go forward—just not for everybody. That was actually the second vote of the meeting, after the panel decided not to extend the Pfizer’s vaccine approval to include a booster dose for everybody age 16 and over. In older people, the benefit of protection from COVID-19 clearly outweighs the small risk posed by a booster dose; in younger people, the panelists weren’t convinced. And finally, some of the panelists questioned whether a universal booster is actually going to have any effect on the pandemic. After the FDA pronouncement, expect the CDC’s advisory panel, ACIP, to meet to make official recommendations on who should get booster doses.

Source: The Nation September 17, 2021 22:01 UTC