Updated Nov 19, 2021 - Health

CDC recommends Pfizer, Moderna COVID boosters for all adults

Erin Doherty

: Irene Michel, right, gives Santana Ruiz, left, a Covid-19 vacination. — Irene Michel, right, gives Santana Ruiz a COVID-19 vaccination in El Monte, California, on Nov. 17. Photo: Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky on Friday approved a CDC advisory panel's unanimous vote to recommend Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 booster shots for anyone 18 and older.

Why it matters: The move will drastically increase the number of people eligible to receive a booster, and fulfill President Biden's pledge to make boosters available to most adults in the U.S.

Walensky previously said the agency would "quickly review the safety and effectiveness data and make recommendations as soon as we hear from FDA."
The Food and Drug Administration earlier Friday endorsed booster shots for all adults.
The CDC panel also recommended that individuals 50 and older “should” receive the COVID-19 booster.

The big picture: More than 32 million adults in the U.S. have received a booster shot, according to the CDC.

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. Several states, however, have expanded eligibility to anyone 18 and older.
Once endorsed by the CDC, Pfizer and Moderna vaccine recipients who are 18 years and older can receive a booster at least six months after their second dose.
Adults who have received the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine are already allowed to get a booster shot two months after their initial shot. The CDC has also authorized people to mix-and-match doses.

Go deeper... The new COVID war: Redefining vaccinated

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CDC recommends Pfizer, Moderna COVID boosters for all adults

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