Mar 15, 2022 - Health

Pfizer, BioNTech plan to seek authorization for 2nd COVID booster for 65+

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine syringes at a vaccination clinic in the Peabody Institute Library in Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S., on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine syringes at a vaccination clinic in Peabody, Massachusetts on Jan. 26, 2022. Photo: Vanessa Leroy/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech plan to seek emergency authorization for a second COVID-19 booster shot for people 65 and older, Axios has confirmed.

Driving the news: The move is an attempt to combat waning immunity that occurs several months after a first booster shot, according to the Washington Post, which first reported the news.

  • The submission to the Food and Drug Administration is expected to include data from Israel, which is one of a few countries that have authorized a second round of booster shots for anyone over 60, according to the Post.

State of play: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said on Sunday that a fourth dose of the COVID-19 vaccine "is necessary" to maintain manageable levels of hospitalizations and mild infections.

What to watch: The decision from the FDA on whether to authorize a second booster dose for older Americans could come quickly, especially if the data provided does not require review by a panel of vaccine experts, per the Post.

Go deeper: Pfizer CEO says fourth shot of COVID vaccine "necessary"

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