Protect Michigan Commission
Weekly Newsletter
September 23, 2021
FDA Authorizes Booster Dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for Certain Populations
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine to allow for use of a single booster dose, to be administered at least six months after completion of the primary series in:
- individuals 65 years of age and older;
- individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19; and
- individuals 18 through 64 years of age whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 puts them at high risk of serious complications of COVID-19 including severe COVID-19.
Today’s authorization applies only to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.
Also today, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend booster doses of Pfizer’s vaccine to people 65 and older who had their first two Pfizer doses six months ago or longer.
They also voted to recommend boosters to people 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that might put them at higher risk of severe disease. However, the advisers were divided on the question of recommending such boosters to people under 50. In a separate question, they voted 9-6 to recommend boosters to people 18-49 who have underlying health conditions.
After long arguments, they voted against recommending boosters for people whose occupations put them at high risk of infection – rejecting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s emergency use authorization decision that included such people, such as healthcare workers and other first responders.
CDC officials noted that ACIP can come back and vote on such questions again at any time.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky will now need to issue her own decision on ACIP’s recommendations.
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Upcoming Clinics
In the coming days, the mobile clinic team will be at the Special Olympics state finals, Kalamazoo Community College the Cherryland Mall in Traverse City. See the full list of upcoming community clinics and request a clinic for your organization's event.
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Photo: The Visit Healthcare mobile team was stationed at the Welcome Back Fall Fest hosted by Mott Community College in Flint last weekend.
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