US expected to recommend COVID vaccine booster jab for all Americans

Health officials in the U.S. are coalescing behind a COVID-19 booster shot for all Americans eight months after they’ve received the second shot, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed to Fox News.

News outlets including the Associated Press and Reuters first reported on the planned booster recommendation. The third dose would only be administered after the Food and Drug Administration formally approves the vaccines, the source said. Current planning is to begin administering the booster shots as soon as mid to late September.

The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News. The FDA has already expanded the emergency use authorization of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines to authorize a booster shot for certain immunocompromised patients.

Pfizer and BioNTech said Monday that a third dose is safe and elicits an antibody response at levels that “significantly exceed” those seen in individuals who receive two doses of the jab. – READ MORE