Associated PressAssociated Press

Extra protection for the most vulnerable in case of the coronaviruses is offered by another COVID-19 booster for people age 50 and older.

The Pfizer or Moderna vaccines can be given to that age group at least four months after their previous booster.

Until now, the FDA only approved fourth doses for people who have weakened immune systems. The group can get an additional booster shot.

The question is whether everyone who is eligible should rush out and get the shot. The CDC is expected to weigh in.

Everyone is eligible for a first booster if they haven't gotten one yet. The second booster is only for the higher-risk groups because of evidence suggesting some waning of protection for them.

At a time of great uncertainty, the move comes at a time. After the winter surge of the super-contagious omicron variant, the levels of COVID-19 cases have dropped to low levels. CDC data shows that two vaccine doses and a booster still provide strong protection against death and severe disease.

An omicron sibling is causing a jump in infections in Europe and spreading to the U.S. Half of those eligible for a first booster haven't gotten one, despite the fact that two-thirds of Americans are fully vaccined.

Moderna requested another dose for all adults to allow the government to decide who really needs one, while Pfizer wanted the FDA to clear a fourth shot for people 65 and older. The threshold for both companies was set by the FDA. Moderna's vaccine is only for adults, while Pfizer's vaccine can only be used in children as young as 12.

There isn't much evidence to tell how much benefit another booster can give. The FDA made the decision without input from its panel of experts who have wrestled with how much data is required to expand shots.

There might be a reason to top off the tanks for older people and people with other health conditions, according to University of Pennsylvania immunologist E. John Wherry.

Wherry doesn't plan on getting a fourth shot right away, but he encourages older friends and relatives to follow the advice. I will wait until it seems like there is a need, because protection against severe illness is still strong.

The vaccine against the omicron Mutant is not as strong as it was against earlier versions of the virus. Protection against milder infections fades over time. The immune system builds multiple layers of defense and the type that prevents severe illness and death is holding up.

The CDC reported that during the U.S. omicron wave, two doses were nearly 80% effective against needing a ventilator or death. The majority of people who hadn't gotten a third dose of the vaccine were immune-compromised.

Israel opened a fourth dose to people 60 and older after their last shot during the omicron surge. The FDA said there were no new safety concerns.

Israeli researchers counted 92 deaths among more than 328,000 people who got the extra shot, compared to 232 deaths among 234,000 people who skipped the fourth dose.

It's not clear how long a benefit from another booster would last, and when to get it.

It is a difficult part. We don't always know when booster doses are going to be, and that's why we want to time them right before the surge.

A longer interval between shots helps the immune system.

Wherry said that if you get a booster too close together, you won't get much benefit from it.

Next week, the government will hold a public meeting to discuss if everyone needs a fourth dose of the vaccine or an updated shot.

There are studies going on to update vaccines with omicron-targeted shots alone or in combination with the original vaccine. The National Institutes of Health recently tested monkeys and found no significant advantage to using a booster that targets just omicron.

There is a

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute supports the Associated Press Health and Science Department. The AP does not accept responsibility for the content.

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