Federal agencies approve second COVID-19 vaccine booster for certain individuals

Information provided by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a second booster of the COVID-19 vaccine for the at-risk population, which includes those 50 years of age and above and those considered immunocompromised.

The CDC said that data continue to show the importance of vaccination and booster doses to protect individuals both from infection and severe outcomes of COVID-19.

“For adults and adolescents eligible for a first booster dose, these shots are safe and provide substantial benefit,” the CDC said. “During the recent Omicron surge, those who were boosted were 21-times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared to those who were unvaccinated, and 7-times less likely to be hospitalized.”

The statement said CDC continues to recommend that all eligible adults, adolescents, and children 5 and older be up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines, which includes getting an initial booster when eligible.

It added that Following FDA’s regulatory action March 29, the CDC is updating its recommendations to allow certain immunocompromised individuals and people over the age of 50 who received an initial booster dose at least 4 months ago to be eligible for another mRNA booster to increase their protection against severe disease from COVID-19.

It continued to say that based on newly published data, adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months ago may now receive a second booster dose using an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

“These updated recommendations acknowledge the increased risk of severe disease in certain populations including those who are elderly or over the age of 50 with multiple underlying conditions, along with the currently available data on vaccine and booster effectiveness,” the statement said.

The FDA’s regulatory action allows:

• A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
• A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. These are people who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are living with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.
• A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may be administered at least 4 months after the first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older with the same certain kinds of immunocompromise.