The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on Friday unanimously recommended a third dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for those over age 65, health care workers, and people at high risk for occupational exposure to the virus.
An FDA official said those at high risk most likely would include teachers and essential infrastructure workers.
The unanimous recommendation of boosters for those over age 65 was the second vote called by the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee during its day-long meeting Friday.
Friday’s vote follows a day-long meeting discussing evidence around potentially waning immunity from the company’s first two shots in the face of the highly contagious Delta variant.
The advisory committee initially rejected Pfizer’s request for full approval of a booster but endorsed a second option of the age 65 above and at high-risk Americans laid out by FDA, which was more narrowly focused. While the panel’s vote is not binding, it is a key step in deciding whether to approve booster shots.
The first vote against the boost shot by the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was 16-2.
The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was on a virtual meeting full day of Friday to discuss whether the data presented by Pfizer support the safety and effectiveness of a booster dose of COMIRNATY administered 6 months post-primary vaccination series.
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