The clash between the companies and the Biden administration, however muted, prompted Biden officials to invite Pfizer representatives to present their data to the White House.
Representatives of Pfizer are expected to meet with top U.S. scientists on Monday to make a case for eventual federal authorization of coronavirus vaccine booster shots, even as top health officials say the extra doses are not necessary at this time, according to two White House officials. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced last week that they were developing a version of their coronavirus vaccine that targets Delta, a highly contagious variant, and reported promising results from studies of people who received a third dose of the original vaccine. The companies said in a news release that booster doses may be needed to fend off virus variants. The data are not yet published or peer-reviewed, but the companies said that they would submit results to the Food and Drug Administration for eventual authorization of booster shots — an announcement that caught the Biden administration by surprise. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, President Biden’s top medical adviser for the pandemic, later told Wolf Blitzer of CNN that the Pfizer’s chief executive, Albert Bourla, called him to apologize for not giving Dr. Fauci a “heads up” about the recommendation. In an unusual joint statement issued Thursday evening, hours after the Pfizer announcement, the F.D.A. and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pushed back. “Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time,” the statement said, adding, “We are prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed.” The clash between the companies and the Biden administration, however muted, prompted Biden officials to invite Pfizer representatives to present their data to the White House, according to one of the officials, both of whom are not authorized to speak publicly.
