U.S. drug regulators on Thursday authorized booster doses of Pfizer ’s COVID-19 vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds.
The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) …
U.S. drug regulators on Thursday authorized booster doses of Pfizer ’s COVID-19 vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds. The Food and Drug Administration ( FDA) cited in its announcement data showing the vaccine becomes significantly less effective over time. “Since we first authorized the vaccine, new evidence indicates that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 is waning after the second dose of the vaccine for all adults,” Dr. Peter Marks, a top FDA official, said in a statement. “A single booster dose of the vaccine for those vaccinated at least six months prior will help provide continued protection against COVID-19 in this and older age groups,” he added. The decision drew immediate pushback, with experts noting that young, healthy people are at low risk of severe COVID-19 and at elevated risk of heart inflammation following vaccination. “I understand that the third dose will boost their level of neutralizing antibiotics. But if the goal of this vaccine is protection against serious illness—which is a reasonable goal and it’s the goal for every other vaccine—two doses already do that.
