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The Biden administration's plan to widely rollout booster Covid-19 shots later this month was dealt a setback late Wednesday when Food and Drug Administration scientists released findings that said the vaccines currently approved in the U.S. offer adequate protection against severe cases of Covid-19, and that the need for booster shots were not necessary at this time.
The FDA released its findings after analyzing data provided by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, as part of the companies' request to be given approval to provide Covid-19 booster shots of their vaccine to people 16 years and older.
On Friday, an outside panel will review the FDA's data along with information from Pfizer as part of an effort to help determine who needs booster shots and when, according to the Wall Street Journal.
“Overall, data indicate that currently U.S.-licensed or authorized Covid-19 vaccines still afford protection against severe Covid-19 disease and death in the United States,” the FDA scientists wrote.
The Biden administration planned on announcing the availability of booster shots as early as next week. However, a decision hinges on the data, which White House press secretary Jen Psaki said would inform not only the FDA but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well.
Last month a CDC committee expressed preliminary support for booster shots among certain age groups. And booster shots have been approved by the FDA for people who are immunocompromised. The CDC panel is set to meet next week to discuss the matter.
The use of booster shots has been approved in Israel, where restrictions are already being imposed on citizens who in the U.S. would be considered fully vaccinated. According to a study released by the Israel Health Ministry, persons who take a booster Covid-19 shot is ten times less likely to become severely ill and ten times less likely to get infected with the virus compared to someone who only received two Covid-19 shots. Those results were realized within twelve days of taking the booster shot, the study found.
All Israelis age 12 and up are eligible for booster shots five months after their first two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine, and with the Delta variant continuing to spread and even infect those vaccinated against the virus, the government has been moving aggressively to encourage its citizens to take the booster shot.
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