While the FDA approved a third dose for the immunocompromised, it said a booster shot is not needed for the general public. A health care worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in New York. The Food and Drug Administration authorized a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna corona virus vaccines for certain people who are immunocompromised. The FDA said on Thursday that it "amended the emergency use authorizations" for the vaccines "to allow for the use of an additional dose in certain immunocompromised individuals."
Specifically, the administration called out solid organ transplant recipients of people diagnosed with medical conditions "considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise." "The country has entered yet another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people are particularly at risk for severe disease," acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said.
"After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Vaccines." The current regimen for both vaccines is two doses given several weeks apart. "Today's action allows doctors to boost immunity in certain immunocompromised individuals who need extra protection from COVID-19," Woodcock added. People who have received an organ transplant or who are immunocompromised have a reduced ability to fight infections and are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. The FDA evaluated the available data and concluded that a third dose of either vaccine for these people "may increase protection in this population."
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