If the CDC director signs off, shots could be administered within the week.
over the age of 50 by public health officials on Tuesday, kicking off the regulatory process for shots to likely be available in pharmacies this week.
Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, told reporters in a briefing about the decision that he would urge his own family members to heed the latest advice. But he also sought to emphasize that the additional booster shouldn't dissuade people from getting their initial booster, which half of eligible people have yet to do.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to the White House, has said he expects additional boosters would"reconstitute" people back to the maximal level of antibodies, rather than boost people higher than their previous immune responses from any of the earlier shots. "There's reasonable evidence right now that, in younger individuals, the protection against the serious outcomes of hospitalization and death is being maintained, and although it may be dropping off a little bit, it's not dropping off in a very significant way," Marks said.
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