Members of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted on a second question, strenghtening the recommendation to say that people 50 and older should get a booster dose of vaccine.
Previously, boosters had been authorized for anyone 65 and older who was vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months ago and for certain adults at high risk of infection or of severe disease.
“Throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked to make timely public health decisions as the pandemic evolves. COVID-19 vaccines have proven to be the best and highly effective defense against COVID-19. Authorizing the use of a single booster dose of either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and older helps to provide continued protection against COVID-19, including the serious consequences that can occur, such as hospitalization and death,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.
Recent real-world studies suggested that immunity from Covid-19 vaccines begins to wane and protection against milder and asymptomatic disease, in particular, may drop. Studies have shown that booster doses restore that immunity.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also told CNN this week that recent data from Israel show that, among people age 60 and older, those who received a booster were less likely to become severely ill than vaccinated people who had not received a booster. Rates of severe disease remained highest among those who weren’t vaccinated.
Boosters can officially be administered to all adults after CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signs off on a recommendation.
However, the majority of adults are already eligible to receive boosters, and several states officially opened up boosters to all adults already.
‘Everyone is eligible’
Expanding booster eligibility to all adults in the United States may not change the logistics around getting shots into arms.
The vaccine supply for boosters is already in place in many places. There are no “extra steps” on the administration side of the booster rollout that need to happen, Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, told CNN.
“Looking national, we have enough vaccine. There are lots of places that have appointments. Obviously, that varies a little bit depending upon where you live geographically because there’s more demand in some areas than others,” Casalotti told CNN.
“But that being said, I think the main preparation is on the communication side,” Casalotti added. “The communication for the local health care providers and public…
Read More: CDC vaccine advisers vote to recommend Covid-19 boosters for all adults