U.S. – CDC recommends Pfizer booster shot for people of age 65 and older
A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel recommended a booster shot of the Pfizer and BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for Americans aged 65 and older and some adults with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk of severe disease.
People 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot “based on individual benefit and risk,” the panel said.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is likely to quickly sign off on the committee ruling, making boosters available to more people within a few days.
Johnson & Johnson said its Covid-19 booster shot is 94% effective when administered two months after the first dose. It also increases antibody levels by four to six times compared with one shot alone, J&J said.
The new data, provided in a press release, helps J&J make a case to the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a booster shot to some 14.8 million Americans who have received the company’s single-dose vaccine.
