Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, supported the use of Covid-19 vaccination boosters for all adults on Friday.
Walensky’s proposal came just hours after CDC vaccine advisors unanimously decided to recommend booster doses of Pfizer/and BioNTech’s Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccines for all US adults six months after they finished their first two doses.
Previous, convoluted booster advice has been simplified by the suggestions.
The US Food and Drug Administration had earlier Friday approved boosts of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccinations for anyone aged 18 and up.
In a statement, the CDC said, “CDC continues to encourage the 47 million adults who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves, their families, loved ones and communities.”
“We also strongly encourage those who were already eligible — older populations and individuals with underlying medical conditions — to get boosted before the holidays.”
Previously, booster shots were only available to people 65 and older who had been vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least six months prior, as well as certain adults who were at high risk of infection or serious disease. The decision on Friday clarifies this, stating that every adult should or may have a booster six months after the first two doses are completed.
Recent real-world investigations have revealed that Covid-19 vaccination immunity is waning, with protection against milder and asymptomatic illness in particular possibly declining. Booster doses have been demonstrated in studies to restore immunity.
Members of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices received safety data from the CDC, Pfizer, and Moderna, all of which indicated that boosters had not produced any alarming side effects. Pain at the injection site, headaches, and exhaustion are the most prevalent side effects.
“After critical scientific evaluation, today’s unanimous decision carefully considered the current state of the pandemic, the latest vaccine effectiveness data over time, and review of safety data from people who have already received a COVID-19 primary vaccine series and booster,” Walensky said in a statement.
“Booster shots have demonstrated the ability to safely increase people’s protection against infection and severe outcomes and are an important public health tool to strengthen our defenses against the virus as we enter the winter holidays,” she noted.
“Based on the compelling evidence, all adults over 18 should now have equitable access to a COVID-19 booster dose.”
Dr. Sara Oliver of the CDC told the meeting that the vote comes just in time for patients to get booster shots before the holidays. Boosters can assist, she said, even if the extra immunity they provide doesn’t last long.
“Even temporary protection may factor into the benefit risk balance, especially as we approach the winter holidays with increased travel and holiday gatherings,” Oliver said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN this week that new data from Israel shows that booster vaccine recipients are less likely to become very ill than non-booster vaccine recipients. Those who were not vaccinated continued to have the greatest rates of serious illness.
The majority of adults were previously qualified for boosters, and several governments have taken steps to make boosters available to all adults.
‘Everyone is eligible.’
The logistics of getting shots into arms may not change if booster eligibility is extended to all adults in the United States.
In many regions, booster vaccine supplies have already been created. According to Adriane Casalotti, chief of government and public affairs at the National Association of County and City Health Officials, there are no “extra steps” that need to be taken on the administration side of the booster deployment.
“Looking national, we have enough vaccine. There are lots of places that have appointments. Obviously, that varies a little bit depending upon where you live geographically because there’s more demand in some areas than others,” Casalotti told CNN.
“But that being said, I think the main preparation is on the communication side,” Casalotti added. “The communication for the local health care providers and public health departments is that now you don’t have to worry about eligibility if someone asks if they need to get a booster. This is the information — everyone is eligible after six months.”
According to CDC data, around 32 million people in the United States have gotten a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine, accounting for about 17% of those who have been fully immunised.
According to CDC data, around 18 million seniors have gotten a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine, accounting for more than half of all booster doses given and improving the immune response of more than a third of fully vaccinated seniors.
Boosters in the Future
According to Johns Hopkins University, the US is now averaging 94,943 new Covid-19 cases each day, up 31% from last week and back to levels last seen more than a month ago. More than a third (38 percent) of new cases occur in the Midwest.
Winter weather, which keeps people indoors, and holiday festivities have been linked to an increase in instances.
Dr. Marci Drees, chief infection prevention officer and hospital epidemiologist for ChristianaCare in Delaware, stated, “We certainly want people to be as well protected as they could possibly be going into the season.”
Drees is a liaison to the CDC’s vaccination advisory group for the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
“I think we’re at the point now where for lots of people who were vaccinated last winter and spring, now would be the time that their protection is waning,” she added.
When people receive their Covid-19 vaccine booster doses, it’s unclear when they’ll need another dose, if at all.
“That certainly is the million-dollar question. We know that the boosters boost people’s immunity back up to that 90% to 95% range in the short term. We don’t know how long that will last,” Drees said.
“In some ways, we’re forging a new path — and a lot of it is driven by can we get enough immunity in the population so that we can really shut down further transmission,” Drees said. “We know that boosters are not going to end the pandemic. They will help and prevent people from getting sick, but we really still need to push on getting first and second doses into people as well.”