WASHINGTON – A committee of United States health experts yesterday declined to approve Pfizer booster shots for individuals at high risk of Covid-19 exposure due to their jobs, despite authorisation from a different agency just the night before.
The decision has contributed to growing confusion about the campaign for booster doses in the US, which the administration of President Joe Biden announced in mid-August but has since lost momentum.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) committee voted yesterday to recommend a third dose of Pfizer’s vaccine for people over 65 and those with underlying conditions who are at risk of developing a severe case of Covid-19.
CDC chief Rochelle Walensky has yet to sign off on the recommendations, but is expected to give them the green light.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorised the third Pfizer dose for a broader swathe of the American public, including those at high risk of coronavirus exposure due to their jobs or other circumstances, such as teachers, grocery store employees, healthcare workers and prisoners.
But, the CDC committee voted nine to six against including that category.
The hours-long debate left several experts torn, as the scientific community has failed to come to a consensus on whether a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot is necessary at this time.
“It’s too soon,” said Beth Bell, a physician and a member of the CDC committee.
“In my opinion, there’s little marginal benefit to making this booster dose available at this time,” said the clinical professor in the Global Health Department at University of Washington.
Some have pointed to the risk of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, in young men as a cause for concern with a widely available third jab.
And in addition to worries about the complexities of administering third doses – as a vocal minority of Americans have still refused to get vaccinated at all – some experts also have concerns about the lack of data on the efficacy and safety of adding another shot to the Pfizer vaccine regimen.
The original two doses are still proving successful at keeping the vast majority of recipients out of the hospital with Covid-19 anyway, they said.
Data does suggest, however, that the vaccine’s efficacy against infection significantly declines in older people over time.
About 13 million people aged 65 and over in the US received the Pfizer jab more than six months ago, and are now eligible for a booster shot.
The Biden administration originally planned a mass campaign to administer third doses to all recipients of both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines starting September 20.
But, FDA experts rejected that plan last week. – AFP, September 24, 2021
