FDA Advisory Committee Rejects Recommendation for Pfizer Vaccine Booster Shot (Comprehensive)

Recommended Only for Those Aged 65 and Over
Biden Administration's Booster Shot Vaccination Plan Impacted

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The expert panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected the request to recommend booster shots for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

According to U.S. media, the FDA expert panel held a meeting on the 17th (local time) and voted on whether to broadly recommend booster shots for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as requested, deciding against it with 16 opposing and 2 in favor.

However, the panel approved booster shots for the elderly aged 60 or 65 and older, or those at high risk of COVID-19 exposure in workplaces and other settings.

The FDA is expected to make a final decision on booster shot administration as early as the same day based on the expert panel's decision. CNBC reported that the FDA has not always followed the expert panel's advice and did not rule out the possibility of making a vaccination decision.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also scheduled to hold a two-day meeting next week to discuss booster shot administration plans.

The Joe Biden administration has expressed its intention to start administering booster shots from the second half of September to those who have completed Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccinations, but scientists affiliated with the FDA and CDC have shown opposition to this.

AP News reported that the FDA expert panel's decision dealt a blow to the Biden administration's booster shot implementation plan.