Washington, Sept. 20 (U.S.): The director of the National Institutes of Health said the government advisory committee’s decision to limit Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots to Americans 65 and older as well as those at risk of serious illness is an initial step and predicts broader approval for most Americans. in the next few weeks.”
Dr. Francis Collins told “Fox News Sunday” that the committee’s recommendation on Friday was correct based on a “snapshot” of available data about the effectiveness of Pfizer’s two-label system over time. But he said real-time data from the United States and Israel continues to show waning efficacy among broader groups of people that will need to be addressed soon, The Associated Press reports.
“I think there will be a decision in the coming weeks to extend the reinforcements beyond the slate they approved on Friday,” said Collins, who also appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor, on Sunday praised the advisory board’s plan to cover a “significant portion” of Americans. But he stressed that “that’s not the end of the story” based on the evolving data, and said the recommendations would likely be expanded in the coming weeks to months.
The FDA will consider the advisory group’s advice and make its own decision, likely within days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also scheduled to weigh in this week.
RAE