WASHINGTON — Federal regulators are expected to authorize a third shot of coronavirus vaccine as soon as Thursday for certain people with weakened immune systems, an effort to better protect them as the highly contagious Delta variant sweeps the nation. It covers people who have had solid organ transplants and others whose immune systems are similarly compromised, according to an official familiar with the plan. The development will give physicians latitude to recommend additional shots for those patients. About 3 percent of Americans have weakened immune systems for a variety of reasons, from a history of cancer to the use of certain medications such as steroids. Many scientists argue that the immunocompromised population is too diverse to uniformly recommend additional shots of coronavirus vaccine.

Source: New York Times August 12, 2021 01:41 UTC