Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CDC, FDA Not Sold On Need For Covid Boosters 'At This Time'
The Boston Globe: Fully Vaccinated Americans Don’t Need A Booster Shot At This Time, FDA, CDC Says
Americans who are fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. In a joint statement issued late Thursday, the two federal regulators said they are engaged in a “science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary.” The statement stressed that available vaccines are effective, and that nearly all people hospitalized or dying from the virus are unvaccinated. The announcement came in the wake of news that Pfizer is about to seek US emergency authorization for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, saying Thursday that another shot within 12 months could dramatically boost immunity, and “maybe” help ward off the latest worrisome delta mutant. (Bowker, 7/8)
NPR: Despite New COVID Variants, CDC Says You Don't Need Any Booster Doses Right Now
As new coronavirus variants test the protections of the available vaccines, federal health officials say there's no need for booster doses right now. "Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time," read a joint statement sent Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. The agencies added that people who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe illness and death, including from emerging variants like the highly contagious delta variant that's now the dominant strain in the U.S. and in other countries. (Bowman, 7/8)
CNN: Pfizer Says It's Time For A Covid Booster; FDA And CDC Say Not So Fast
Drugmaker Pfizer said Thursday it is seeing waning immunity from its coronavirus vaccine and says it is picking up its efforts to develop a booster dose that will protect people from variants. It said it would seek emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for a booster dose in August after releasing more data about how well a third dose of vaccine works. (Fox, 7/8)
Axios: FDA, CDC: Fully Vaccinated People "Do Not Need A Booster Shot At This Time"
People who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus do not need a booster shot at this time, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint statement released Thursday evening. What they're saying: "People who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta," the FDA and CDC said. (Gonzalez, 7/8)
