FDA plans to allow a second updated COVID booster for vulnerable Americans

WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration plans to allow older and immunocompromised Americans to get a second updated coronavirus booster shot in the near future, an acknowledgment of the virus's continuing risks to vulnerable people whose immunity might be sagging months after a previous inoculation.

Federal regulators are expected to authorize the additional dose in the next few weeks, according to people familiar with the agency's planning. Those 65 and older would be able to receive the vaccine at least four months after their previous updated shot. Those with immune deficiencies would also be eligible, and the vaccines would be free of charge.

Regulators are expected to authorize the additional dose without explicitly recommending it for those groups, a stance that emphasizes the discretion of patients and their health providers. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is expected to sign off on the decision - a customary step in the regulatory process.

https://www.startribune.com/fda-plans-to-allow-a-second-updated-covid-booster-for-vulnerable-americans/600264789/