Biden officials to Pfizer: Booster shot not currently needed

• U.S. health officials met with Pfizer officials on Monday to discuss the need for a COVID-19 booster shot.
• While Pfizer has applied for an FDA authorization for a third shot of its vaccine, the FDA and CDC maintained that a booster shot is not yet necessary.
• The Department of Health and Human Services said that the current vaccines offer sufficient protection against COVID-19, but assured that they will continue to monitor the situation.

U.S. health officials discussed the need for a third shot of the COVID-19 vaccine with Pfizer officials on Monday, during which Pfizer officials provided preliminary data backing their stance that a booster shot is needed. However, U.S. officials maintained their position that a booster shot is not yet necessary.

Last week, Pfizer announced that they would apply for authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the third shot of its COVID-19 vaccine. Mere hours later, both the FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a rare joint statement maintaining that a booster was not yet needed.

Following the meeting with Pfizer, a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesperson stated, “At this time, fully vaccinated Americans do not need a booster shot. The vaccines available now offer a very high degree of protection.”

The spokesperson assured that they will keep reviewing new data rigorously “as it becomes available and will keep the public informed.”

“The administration is prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed, and any recommendation by CDC and FDA would come after their thorough review process,” they stated.

U.S. health officials added that this does not mean booster shots won’t ever be needed, but that they still need to consider other data in addition to the information provided by Pfizer.

Pfizer stated, “We had a productive meeting with U.S. public health officials on the elements of our research program and the preliminary booster data in our ongoing trials.”

“Both Pfizer and the U.S. government share a sense of urgency in staying ahead of the virus that causes COVID-19, and we also agree that the scientific data will dictate next steps in the rigorous regulatory process that we always follow,” the company continued.

The company stated that it would publish “more definitive data” in a peer-reviewed journal in the future.

Earlier on Monday, the World Health Organization pointed out that vulnerable people across the world are still waiting to be fully vaccinated and should be prioritized before people in developed countries get a third shot.

Source: The Hill