The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP) recommended Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a booster shot for certain populations. Those with high occupational and institutional settings are also recommended for a booster dose. The ACIP booster shot recommendation is only for Pfizer’s vaccine out of the three other vaccines used by the US against COVID-19. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC’s director , took forward the advice of her expert committee and backed the decision to avail booster shots for more people in the US.
People with weak immune systems can go with the third shot!
Earlier, vaccine booster shots were authorised for people with weak immune systems and for transplant recipients to protect against the various variants of COVID-19. It was approved in August by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The WHO had placed a moratorium on COVID-19 booster shots in August itself due to the disparity in vaccination levels in low and high-income group countries. The approval came despite that. And then in September, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, further emphasised that countries should not be going ahead with administering booster shot campaigns at least till the end of the year.
Numbers from Our World in Data reveals that there are only 2.2 per cent of the people in the low-income countries that have received at least one dose of vaccine against covid-19. For those who have received the Pfizer and Moderna, FDA has said that people with weaker immune systems or those who went through transplant or those with certain cancers/ disorders can get the third vaccine booster shot at least 28 days after receiving the second dose of vaccine.
Who can get the booster shot in the US now?
The CDC in a press release mentioned the following details when it comes to getting a third shot of covid vaccine.
- Those who are 65 years of age and older, residents with long-term care should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after receiving both the vaccine doses.
- Those aged 50–64 years and have existing medical conditions can also get a booster shot at least 6 months after rececving both the doses of Pfizer-BioNTech.
- Those under the age-bracket of 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot at least 6 months after receiving both the doses for their Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine .
- And those falling under the age-bracket of 18-64 years, who are at maximum risk for COVID-19 transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot at least 6 months after receiving both the doses of Pfizer-BioNTech.
