Federal health officials on Thursday reiterated that only certain people with compromised immune systems might need COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at this time in light of news that the Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize these shots for select individuals.
“As we have been saying for weeks, certain people who are immunocompromised such as people who have had organ transplants and some cancer patients may not have had an adequate immune response to just two doses of the Covid vaccine,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a COVID-19 briefing.
She said immunocompromised individuals who might need a booster shot make up a very small proportion of the population, estimating they account for less than 3% of adults.
“We’ve been working to identify how best to provide increased protection to these vulnerable people who are disproportionately impacted by severe outcomes due to COVID-19,” she said. “An additional dose could help increase protection for these individuals, which is especially important as the delta variant spreads.”
The CDC will host a meeting with its vaccine advisers Friday to discuss insights and recommendations about booster shots.
On Wednesday, media outlets reported that the FDA is anticipated to authorize third shots of the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for some people who are immunocompromised, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on Thursday he believes that sooner or later booster shots will be needed more broadly for durability and protection and that officials are preparing for that eventuality.
“Right at this moment, apart from the immunocompromised,” he said, “we do not believe that others, elderly or non-elderly who are not immunocompromised, need a vaccine right at this moment. But this is a dynamic process, and the data will be evaluated.”
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