The Food and Drug Administration is expected to approve a second booster vaccine for Americans over the age of 50 years old in the coming days.
With epidemiologists preparing for what they anticipate will be another wave of a Covid-19 variant, doctors are ready to provide boosters for older citizens, who may be at a higher risk of developing complications from the virus.
As the pandemic moves into its third year, cases have gone down with the introduction of vaccines for those over five years old, though experts warn that vigilance is still needed. Children under the age of five cannot be vaccinated yet, and for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions, the virus still poses a threat.
The prospect of a second booster has been debated across the world. Studies from Israel conducted late last year show “an additional mRNA booster increases immunogenicity and lowers rates of confirmed infections and severe illness,” said Pfizer.
“To me, potential benefits of 2nd booster are large (esp. w/ new surge coming), risks=near-zero, so why not give folks the option?” tweeted Bob Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at University of California, San Francisco.
The FDA is expected to approve the doses without specifically recommending them, and the Centers for Disease Control is expected to do the same. If you have questions about the Covid vaccine, speak to your healthcare professional.
