FDA Authorizes Second COVID-19 Booster For People Over 50

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer for people over the age of 50.

The FDA also authorized a second Pfizer booster shot for people 12 and older who have compromised immune systems, while a second Moderna booster was authorized for adults over the age of 18 who have a compromised immune system.

The second booster shot can be administered four months after the first booster shot.

The agency made the decision without consulting its Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. The committee will meet on April 6 to discuss booster shots but is not expected to vote on recommending a fourth shot of either vaccine.

The CDC is expected to quickly sign off on the recommendation and will lay out the guidelines for who should get a second booster shot.

"Current evidence suggests some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals. Based on an analysis of emerging data, a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could help increase protection levels for these higher-risk individuals," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a news release. "Additionally, the data show that an initial booster dose is critical in helping to protect all adults from the potentially severe outcomes of COVID-19. So, those who have not received their initial booster dose are strongly encouraged to do so."