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.
- Meanwhile, NIAID director Anthony Fauci said last month that the possibility of another round of boosters was being "very carefully monitored."
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"