FDA Panel Votes Against Pfizer’s COVID Booster for Everyone, Recommends It for People 65 and Older

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory panel on Friday voted 16–3 to recommend against providing booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 16 and older. The panel later voted to endorse the Pfizer booster for individuals who are aged 65 and older and for those who are at high risk.

Throughout the meeting, independent scientists who advise the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) struck a skeptical tone on the need for boosters, or third doses, for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for the general public. The advisory panel’s discussion is the first major test for the Biden administration’s vaccination agenda as top health officials last month announced they would try to roll out boosters for everyone by Sept. 20.

But for people aged 65 and older and those at high risk of occupational exposure, booster doses were recommended in an 18–0 vote.

It’s not clear when a final FDA decision could come on booster doses, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has scheduled a meeting next week to distribute boosters around the United States. The Epoch Times has contacted the FDA for comment.