Dr. Scott Gottlieb says the United States 'probably missed the window' to provide the follow-up doses before a summer wave of infections.
In a televised interview Sunday, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former chief of the Food and Drug Administration, stressed the urgency of approving new vaccine boosters in the United States and said data from Israel shows declining efficacy among people vaccinated late last year—prompting vaccine-maker Pfizer to request an emergency use authorization for its Covid-19 booster.during a House committee hearing.
Gottlieb also said the declining efficacy has likely been compounded by the rapidly spreading delta variant, which has higher viral loads than originally seen with the virus.
"We're a little bit behind here in the United States," he said, noting that countries like the United Kingdom and Israel have already decided to provide boosters to people above the age of 70 and those who are immunocompromised. Gottlieb also suggested President Joe Biden's administration may not want to start recommending boosters yet because doing so could discourage those who are vaccine-hesitant from going out and seeking vaccination, notably in light of the administration's failed goal of vaccinating 70% of Americans by July 4.
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