FDA

Eligibility for Booster Shots in US Closer With CDC Panel Meeting Set

California and other states did not wait for federal government approval, and as of last week, those 18 and older already started getting the booster shots

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The FDA's decision on whether to authorize COVID-19 booster shots for all adults is expected soon. An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control already is set to meet Friday. If the FDA votes authorize the Pfizer booster for adults, the CDC can take up the issue, and approval could come by the end of the day.

“It's going to be very important for people when they have boosters available to get the booster shot,” said Doctor Anthony Fauci.  

California and other states did not wait for federal government approval, and as of last week, those 18 and older already started getting the booster shots.

The authorization would mean tens of millions of Americans could become eligible for the booster before the holidays, and as health officials are concerned about rising COVID-19 case numbers, especially in the Midwest and Northeast. Coronavirus deaths over the past week are averaging a thousand a day nationally. Hospitalizations in people vaccinated, but not yet boosted are on the rise too.

Doctor William Tseng from Kaiser Permanente said we in California are more fortunate.

“If you have more infections, you're inadvertently going to have more hospitalizations... California and San Diego, we're so lucky because we do have higher vaccination rates, if you look at other states, they [case rates] are going up much faster rate than we are.”    

San Diego County Health and Human Services reported its latest numbers Thursday.

The report showed 388 new cases of COVID-19 and 10 additional deaths.

According to state data, the number of coronavirus patients in San Diego County hospitals decreased by 16 to 261 and the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units increased by five.

“What we're seeing is the hospitalization numbers are staying very flat,” said Tseng, adding he was hoping the numbers would decline until they get to zero.

“It’s been there [flat] for California for a while now, and that’s the concern. Are we going to see a bump up a little bit especially during winter when everybody comes together?"

He too is urging people to get the booster. It is available now in California to all eligible adults. But in addition to that, he said, the priority is to get those who have not been vaccinated ---vaccinated.

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