The Center for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine advisory group met this week over the course of two days to discuss COVID-19 booster shots. As of Wednesday, September 22, the Federal Drug Administration had not approved the Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot.
According to CNBC, last Friday the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted to reject a distribution plan of the booster shots to all Americans over 16. The alternative was distributing the shots to the older population and those with risk of severe illness.
Next, FDA officials will decide whether to accept this recommendation.
CNBC also reported that this vote differed from the Biden administration’s announcement that it would like to start allowing the general public to receive their boosters this week, as long as health officials approved.
As of Wednesday, the CDC group was planning to vote on what Americans can receive their boosters on Thursday, but it could get pushed back to a later week. The meeting this week featured presentations to support distribution to a large percent of the population, CNBC reported. One of these presenters was a Pfizer executive, who shared information supporting the safety and effectiveness of the company’s boosters.
The CDC vote depends on if the FDA’s decision is announced before their planned Thursday vote. CNBC reported the FDA is typically the first governmental health organization to announce its decisions on drugs and vaccines, before the CDC.
Experts have said that the third dose increases levels of antibodies that fight the COVID-19 virus, according to The New York Times. However, the length of this increase is unknown, as well as whether it is enough to protect in extreme cases of illness or if it can reduce transmission.
This year, St. Lawrence students were required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, either with the two shots of the Pfizer and Moderna, or one shot of Johnson and Johnson. They also recognized AstraZeneca, Covishield and other international shots. The university has not announced any official plans about requirements regarding booster shots. According to St. Lawrence’s website, they mandated student vaccines after a recommendation from the American College Health Association that stated it was “the most effective way for institutions of higher education to return to a safe, robust on-campus experience.”
“If the FDA gives emergency approval of booster shots, I think that we need to protect the vulnerable first, but when it is my turn, I will not be against getting it myself” Elisa Sergi ’22 says, “I think that in order for a booster to be as effective as we want it to be, more people need to get the vaccine.”
55 percent of all Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated, as reported in The New York Times. 74.4 percent of New York state adults are fully vaccinated.