Can you get a COVID-19 booster shot? Here’s what to know

20 Sep Can you get a COVID-19 booster shot? Here’s what to know

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to make a decision this week on who, if anyone, should get a booster shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty. On Friday, an FDA advisory committee voted in favor of giving a third shot of the vaccine to people ages 65 and older and those at high risk of contracting a severe form of COVID-19. The FDA often follows the advice of its advisory committees.

In August, the Biden Administration announced that it would initiate a broad plan to offer booster shots to all Americans, eight months after their second dose, on September 20. However, that plan has been delayed as the FDA makes its own determinations about who should get a third shot. Even if the FDA chooses to only approve a booster for people 65 and over and high-risk populations, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says that could change later as regulators continue to analyze the data. In the meantime, he told CNN’s State of the Union, he thinks the current recommendation is a good one.

“I think it’s a good recommendation, because if you look at everyone over 65 and people from 18 to 64 with underlying conditions that make them more likely to have a severe outcome, and those who are 18 to 64 who, by either institutional or occupational situation put them at a higher risk for exposure and infection, you’re gonna get a pretty good chunk of the population.”

What is so controversial about boosters?

There has been a lot of debate about whether to distribute a booster shot to Americans who have already been vaccinated. The main concern is over whether there is enough data to support the idea that a third shot is truly necessary. Even a recent study from the CDC showed that while Pfizer’s vaccine effectiveness did decline significantly over four months, it still conferred strong protection against COVID-19. (Moderna, which has also applied for approval for a booster shot, showed virtually no decrease in effectiveness.)

Scientist want to see more data. In a September 13 report published in The Lancet, researchers wrote that it’s not clear that the overall population needs a booster. They say that all three vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson) consistently show protection against severe disease from all the main viral variants, including delta. And while the authors note that there may be a need for a booster as protection from vaccines wanes, they say public health officials should be wary of introducing a booster too soon or too frequently, citing rare side effects. Putting out boosters too early, they write, could also undermine public confidence in vaccines if there is not a specific and direct benefit.

While there have been breakthrough infections among vaccinated Americans, the vast majority of people hospitalized or dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated. The vaccines are designed to prevent severe disease, not all infection. As such, experts say, the vaccines are still working for most people.

Will I be able to get one?

Possibly! The FDA already authorized booster shots for immunocompromised individuals back in August. The agency defines those as having had a solid organ transplant or a diagnosis for a disease that renders one equivalently immunocompromised. Now that an FDA advisory committee has made its recommendation, the FDA is expected to expand authorization for Pfizer’s booster shot this week.

If the FDA follows the guidance from its advisory council, it will likely only be available to people ages 65 and older and people at risk of severe infection. That latter category hasn’t yet been defined and could include healthcare workers and others who may have more exposure to the disease than the average person. The good news is that there should be more clarity soon. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which meets on Wednesday, will also have to make a recommendation on the booster.

As for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, the data is still incoming.

Source: Fast Company