Adults that are 65 and older may soon become eligible for a second COVID-19 booster shot.
About a week after Pfizer and BioNTech submitted an emergency use authorization request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Biden administration is looking into authorizing a second booster shot, according to POLITICO.
People with compromised immune systems are the only group that have been eligible to receive a second booster shot, but with a growing concern around the Omicron BA.2 variant causing cases to rise, those age 65 and older could benefit from a second booster shot.
Ninety-five percent of people age 65 and older in the United States have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 88.9% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, just 67.1% have received their booster shots.
That means there is about 33.6% remaining -- or 14,797,722 older Americans that remain eligible for their booster shots.
The Omicron BA.2 variant has caused a recent rise of cases throughout European countries, and officials are monitoring if it could cause another surge in the United States. There has been 612,084 new cases in the United Kingdom, a 14.5% increase, over the last seven days, according to gov.uk.
Vaccination numbers in the UK are a bit higher than the U.S. with 67.3%, or 38.7 million people, having received their booster shot. 44.6% of the entire American population has gotten a booster dose.
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As of March 19, the BA.2 variant has accounted for 34.9% of new cases in the U.S. The new variant has hit New England the hardest so far, and is responsible for 54.4% of new cases in the region.
The longevity of the vaccine's effectiveness has been questioned by many, but has still shown to be protective against hospitalizations and deaths.
"Top health officials are waiting on more definitive data from the CDC and Israel to determine the effectiveness of a fourth shot on different groups and populations," according to POLITICO.
There is a FDA advisory committee meeting scheduled for April 6 to discuss the consideration for additional COVID-19 booster doses and address emerging variants. A decision on the authorization of a second booster shot could come soon after the meeting.
"The FDA traditionally consults the committee members before making major vaccine decisions, and risks angering those influential health experts if the agency presses ahead without their input," according to POLITICO.
There is currently enough vaccines to administer a second booster shot to all Americans 65 and older, according to officials, but not enough for the entire adult population. Additional government funding would be needed to provide enough vaccine supply.
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