The Food and Drug Administration is very likely to authorize the booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adults in the United States. The decision will expand the access of the additional vaccines for millions of Americans. A panel of independent experts is all set to be convened by the Centres for Disease Control that will review the application by Pfizer for a wide-spread booster authorization for people who are 18 years and older.
The demand for the authorization was asked by the company earlier in November at a time when the fear the spread of coronavirus had continued particularly at a time when the holiday season rush is just round the corner. As for now the CDC and the FDA have given out their approval for the extended booster program. All the adults in the United States can be eligible to get the booster doses as early as this weekend. But only those will be eligible whose second vaccine was at least six months apart.
About 195.4 million Americans have got their vaccines and 30.7 million people have got a booster dose. The booster program of the United States has so far been limited only for the people who are 65 years and older. People who are living in long-term care settings or are having any underlying health issues are also eligible for the booster dose. Apart from the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccines even those who have received the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine are also eligible for the booster.
Meanwhile, Moderna is also asking its regulators to expand its booster eligibility but the mix-and-match strategy allows anyone to get a Pfizer vaccine regardless of their earlier vaccine course. But the restrictions on the booster has not stopped a number of states to act before the federal guidance. Some of the local officials are already encouraging adults to get their boosters.
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