COVID Booster Shot Confusion Ahead Of FDA Advisory Committee Meeting
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – There's booster confusion ahead of an FDA advisory committee meeting Friday to discuss third shots of COVID-19 vaccines.
Here's where it gets tricky.
The White House is targeting next week to start the third Pfizer shot rollout.
"You'll be able to get the booster shots at any one of approximately 80,000 vaccination locations nationwide. It will be easy," said President Joe Biden last month.
But that decision is pending authorization from the FDA and CDC.
There's no indication from the FDA yet which way they are leaning, and ahead of that decision their Director for Biologics Research and Evalation said, in part, "The administration recently announced a plan to prepare for additional COVID-19 vaccine doses, or 'boosters,' this fall, and a key part of that plan is FDA completing an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of these additional vaccine doses."
"I can understand the general population when they are confused - they hear so many things and you don't' create trust like that – and that's a problem," said Dr. Marcos Mestre, Chief Medical Officer at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. "In my opinion is that with what the FDA is waiting for is data that actually makes sense to give the booster to those who aren't as higher risk - healthy 25- or 30-year-old, it might not make sense."
You've likely heard already those who are immunocompromised can already get a third shot.
CBS4 News asked Dr. Mestre what could stop a healthy person from just getting a third dose now?
"If they're going into the database and into Florida shots which is the state database for immunizations, they can look it up so technically they would be able to look it up," said Dr. Mestre. "Now whether you're immune immunocompromised or not – that's a whole other story."
The committee is expected to start those booster discussions around 2:30 p.m. Friday.
