January 1, FDA overwhelmingly rejects Pfizer booster for anyone 16 and up

An advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration resoundingly voted against giving Pfizer-BioNtech’s COVID-19 booster shots to those 16 and up. The panel agreed to distribute them only to people aged 65 and those at high risk of severe illness.

Members overwhelmingly voted against the recommendation for everyone 16 and older, citing concerns about the lack of evidence showing boosters are safe and effective for young people.

“We’re being asked to approve this as a three-dose vaccine for people 16 years of age and older, without any clear evidence if the third dose for a younger person when compared to an elderly person is of value,” said committee member Dr. Paul Offit.

The recommendation only applies to those who received the Pfizer vaccine and does not impact those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.

Source:

FDA advisory group rejects Covid boosters for most, limits to high-risk groups