On Wednesday, September 22, 2021, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a booster shot of the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be administered at least six months after the second shot for the following groups:
- individuals 65 years of age and older;
- individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19; and
- individuals 18 through 64 years of age whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 puts them at high risk of serious complications of COVID-19 including severe COVID-19.
On Thursday, September 23, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Scientific Panel recommended a booster shot of the Pfizer- BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be administered at least six months after the second shot for all the groups listed by the FDA above with the exception of those 18 through 64 years whose employment put them at high risk of exposure and serious complications of COVID-19.
Within the next few days, the CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is expected to approve the CDC Scientific Panel recommendations and immediately allow people who meet the criteria to start receiving the booster shot. Although Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is fully FDA approved for those 16 years and older, the booster shot will only be approved for those 18 years of age and older and who meet certain criteria. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been approved by the FDA for those between 12 years and 15 years of age under the Emergency Use Authorization.
The booster shot recommendations by the FDA and CDC over the past two days does not include Moderna and Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccines. Those are still being evaluated.
For more information, go to: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
