CDC panel says more evidence needed for boosters
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel on Monday indicated it could take a substantially different approach to booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines than the one proposed by the Biden administration.
Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said the evidence on boosters is not clear and indicated it would likely consider a risk-based approach that would prioritize residents of long-term care facilities and health workers, rather than all eligible Americans at once.
COVID-19 vaccines continue to maintain high protection against severe disease, hospitalization and death. While some studies have found some waning of effectiveness against infection, members of the panel said the evidence is not clear enough to justify a booster recommendation.
Significance: The panel didn’t vote on Monday, but it was clear that if one had been held, an endorsement of a booster recommendation wouldn’t be a slam dunk. Pfizer and BioNTech are asking federal regulators to approve a third dose as a booster shot for all eligible Americans. A representative from Pfizer said studies on the need for boosters are ongoing, and initial data might not be available until late September or early October.
Timing: But the Biden administration has already said boosters will be available beginning the week of Sept. 20. Scientists and public health experts have sharply criticized the announcement, accusing the administration of pre-empting the evidence.
Vaccine approval: The panel voted 14-0 to recommend the vaccine for people ages 16 and older. The move was essentially a formality, as it comes a week after the FDA granted full approval.
The panel had previously voted in favor of an interim recommendation, before the vaccine was fully approved.
