Nov 19, 2021 - Health

FDA endorses Pfizer, Moderna COVID boosters for all adults

Erin Doherty

A healthcare worker administers a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine at a senior living facility in Worcester, Pennsylvania, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021. — A health care worker administers a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID vaccine at a senior living facility in Worcester, Pa., in August. Photo: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday endorsed booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for anyone 18 and older.

Why it matter: The move could dramatically increase the number of Americans who are eligible to receive a booster by tens of millions.

Driving the news: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's independent committee of vaccine experts is scheduled to meet on Friday. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will then need to OK the booster shots.

If the CDC committee green lights the booster, American adults who received a second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine at least six months ago could begin receiving a booster as early as this weekend.

The big picture: Pfizer earlier this month asked the FDA to expand authorization of their COVID-19 vaccine booster to Americans who are 18 and older.

Currently, the only Americans who are technically eligible to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna boosters are people 65 and older or adults at high risk of severe infection.
More than 32 million people have already received a booster dose, according to CDC data.

Go deeper: Pfizer-BioNTech seek FDA authorization for COVID boosters for all adults

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FDA endorses Pfizer, Moderna COVID boosters for all adults

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