Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pfizer Applies For FDA OK Of Second Covid Booster For People 65 And Older
NBC News: Pfizer Asks FDA To Authorize 2nd Covid Booster For People 65 And Older
Pfizer and BioNTech announced Tuesday that they asked U.S. regulators to authorize a second Covid-19 vaccine booster for people 65 and older. If the Food and Drug Administration grants authorization, the additional shot would go to a group of people who are among those with the highest risk of serious illness and death from Covid. ... If the additional Pfizer booster is authorized, it's unclear if every eligible person who wants a second booster will be able to get one — the U.S. government currently only has enough doses for immunocompromised people to seek a fourth shot, a senior administration official said Tuesday. (Lovelace Jr., 3/15)
USA Today: Pfizer Seeks FDA Authorization For Second Booster For 65 And Up
The request is based on data from Israel during a recent omicron outbreak there. One study of more than 1 million Israelis over 60 showed that those who got a fourth dose were half as likely to become infected and four-times less likely to fall severely ill than those who had only three shots. In a second study of 700 Israeli health care workers, those who received a fourth dose, saw a 10-fold jump in protective antibodies two weeks after the shot. (Weintraub, 3/15)
The Washington Post: Pfizer And BioNTech Seek Authorization Of Second Coronavirus Booster Shot For People 65 And Older
In a separate move aimed at answering longer-term questions about booster strategies, the FDA plans to hold a meeting of its outside advisers in early April to consider whether there should be an effort in October or November, perhaps in conjunction with the annual influenza vaccine campaign, to encourage some or all adults to get additional boosters. The panel could also discuss whether the shots should be the same formula as current vaccines or retooled to counter new variants, according to a federal official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the plans. (McGinley, Pager and Johnson, 3/15)
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The Atlantic: How to Time Your Second Booster
Imagine if older Americans had been forced to weather the past three months without the option of a booster shot. Having an additional vaccine dose during the Omicron surge cut seniors’ risks of hospitalization and death by more than 70 percent. But the extra shots still didn’t come close to eliminating risk: Boosted adults ages 65 and older were still hospitalized at nearly twice the rate—and dying at 16 times the rate—of unboosted 18-to-49-year-olds, despite the fact that far fewer seniors were testing positive for the coronavirus. (Gutman, 3/15)
