Pfizer COVID booster gets FDA approval for all adults. What you need to know

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Adults who received Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine can get a booster after six months.


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For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO and CDC websites.

The Food and Drug Administration this morning expanded its emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine booster, opening it up to all adults. The FDA gave similar approval for a Moderna vaccine booster. With the FDA authorization, those 18 years of age and older can receive a booster six months after receiving their second vaccine shot. An advisory committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet this afternoon to sign off on the authorization.

Over the summer, as the delta variant took hold in the US, the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 surged. The vaccines that are approved by the FDA have proven to be highly effective in preventing severe illness. Those who remain unvaccinated account for nearly all hospitalizations and deaths.

Multiple studies show that the effectiveness of vaccines may start to decline after six to eight months. Recent studies say a booster dose of Pfizer shows 95.6% efficacy against COVID-19.

We’ll explain below what to know about who is eligible for the Pfizer booster shot today. For more on COVID-19, here’s what we know about COVID-19 vaccines for kids, the latest guidance on masks and breakthrough infections. And here’s what you should know about the new federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates — and what to do if you lost your vaccine card.


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Who is now eligible for a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster?

With the FDA emergency use authorization, adults 18 years of age and older are eligible for a Pfizer booster six months after receiving their second vaccine shot. The authorization expands an earlier authorization that limited a booster shot to those at higher risk of infection.

Where can I get a booster shot?

According to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, boosters will be available at roughly 80,000 places across the country, including over 40,000 local pharmacies. Some 90% of Americans have a vaccine site within 5 miles of where they live, Zients said, and getting a booster shot will be just as easy as getting the first shot. And the booster shot will be free too. 

You can check Vaccines.gov to see which vaccines are available where or call 1-800-232-0233 for vaccine information.

Why did Pfizer request authorization for booster shots for everyone 18 years of age and older?

If you’re fully vaccinated, the CDC says you will continue to be protected from infection and especially against serious illness. All the COVID-19 vaccine shots authorized by the FDA continue to be “highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death,” according to the CDC.

Recent studies, however, show the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine can begin to wane after 5 or 6 months and a booster can raise your protection against infection, especially against serious illness. Albert Bourla, the chief executive of Pfizer, told the New York Times he anticipates the effectiveness of a booster to last a year, with annual booster shots possible to prop up immunity.

What about mixing and matching the COVID-19 booster shot?

The CDC said those who qualify for a booster shot can get any of the three available — a booster from Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson — no matter which one they received first. The CDC will have more details shortly on its mix-and-match plan.

When can I get the Pfizer booster shot?

Now, if you’re eligible. According to Zients, up to 20 million people received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago and are eligible for the Pfizer booster shot now.

State and local health officials have started to roll out campaigns to help the public better understand who qualifies immediately, according to the New York Times. 

Is the Pfizer booster the same as the first two shots?

Yes. According to Pfizer, its COVID-19 booster would be a third jab of the same vaccine you got with the first two doses. 

Pfizer is working separately with its partner BioNTech on a version of the COVID-19 vaccine that targets the delta variant.

For more on coronavirus treatments and vaccines, here’s what we know about monoclonal antibody treatments, the new federal vaccine mandates and why some people may not want the shot.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

source: cnet.com