The CDC Has Approved The Second Covid Booster Shot For Patients Aged 50 And Up

The Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 vaccines can now be given a second booster dose to people aged 50 and up.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued a statement permitting shots to begin immediately just hours after the Food and Drug Administration approved the second booster on Tuesday.

"Boosters are safe, and persons over 50 can now get a second booster four months after their first dosage to strengthen their protection even more," Walensky said.

For immunocompromised people, the FDA has already approved a fourth shot. The FDA also approved a fifth dose, or second booster, for that group on Tuesday. Immunocompromised people were formerly allowed to get a three-dose initial immunization series followed by a booster.

The two agencies' haste in clearing the additional vaccine doses reflects their anxiety about the development of the highly contagious omicron subvariant known as BA.2. According to the most recent data from the CDC, the subvariant accounts for around 55 percent of new cases in the country.

A third of persons between the ages of 50 and 65 have serious underlying diseases that put them at risk of serious illness. Covid, During a press conference, Dr. Peter Marks, the FDA's chief vaccine regulator, remarked.

"If it were my relatives," Marks said, "I would send them out to do this again because of the higher level of protection."

He also mentioned that it's possible that people will need another dose of the Covid vaccine this fall.

Marks speculated that the later dose might not be the same as the ones now in use, and that regulators might switch to a variant-specific vaccination or one that targets many strains. Pfizer and Moderna are also testing a vaccine for the omicron version. Moderna is also experimenting with a shot that kills both delta and omicron versions.

"At some point, we'll have to accept that this is a virus that will always be with us," he said, adding that "we'll have to come to terms with dealing with it on a regular basis."

According to CDC data, only about half of individuals eligible for a booster have received one.

The FDA appears to be relying on information from Israel, where officials began offering fourth doses to vulnerable groups in December.