Topline
According to The Wall Street Journal's latest guidance, President Joe Biden is proposing to issue revised guidance that recommends that Americans receive a third dose from Pfizer or Moderna six months after the first dose. This would be in line with most Americans' readiness for the next shot.
Joe Biden, the then-President-elect, receives the second dose from the Pfizer/BioNTech covid-19 vaccine on January 11, 2021 in Newark. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images). Getty Images
The Key Facts
Last week, the administration announced long-awaited plans for boosters. It recommended that a third dose be administered at least eight months following the first. A person familiar with the process said that federal regulators will likely decide that a six-month waiting time is better after reviewing data from vaccine manufacturers and other countries. The FDA and the CDC will have to approve the final plan. According to The Wall Street Journal, approval for a plan that includes information about a Johnson & Johnson booster shot is expected to be granted by mid-September.
What to Watch
Last week, administration officials stated that they are looking at September 20th as the date for the mass rollout of booster shots. The timeline for booster shots will likely change if a 6-month recommendation is made.
Big Number
77%. According to a Morning Consult poll, 77% of Americans who have been fully vaccinated said that they will get a booster shot if recommended.
Important Background
Germany, Israel, and the U.K. had all announced plans or already began to give boosters to the general population. The U.S. approved boosters earlier this month for immunocompromised people. The rapid spread and rise in breakthrough infections caused by the coronavirus Delta variant have led to an increase in the demand for boosters. However, the two-shot vaccines are still highly effective in preventing severe complications from a Covid infection. Studies have shown that vaccine effectiveness decreases over time. However, booster shots can provide an important boost in antibodies to protect against Covid-19.
Chief Critic
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, has appealed to wealthy countries to give vaccines to low-inoculation countries rather than giving booster shots for their own people.
Continue reading
Biden Administration Plans to Provide 19 Vaccine Boosters for Six Months instead of Eight (The Wall Street Journal).
WHO Leader Pleads Against Supplement ShotsQuestioning Efficacy and Highlighting the Risk of More Potent Variants (Forbes).
Poll finds that more than three quarters of vaccinated Americans plan to get Covid-19 booster shot, according to polls (Forbes).
CDC Committee Approves the Third Covid-19 Shot for Immunocompromised Patients
Biden Administration To Provide Covid-19 VaccineBooster Shots Starting September 20 (Forbes).
Live updates and coverage of the Coronavirus
