FDA authorizes Pfizer’s Covid-19 booster for people over 65 or at high risk

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday granted an emergency use authorization to Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine booster, though for now the FDA said use of the booster should be restricted to people over the age of 65, adults 18 and older at high risk of severe Covid, and those who, like health care workers, are at higher risk of infection because of their jobs. That list includes teachers.

With the agency’s ruling, the Biden administration is one step closer to implementing its plan to begin to offer booster shots to Americans, a campaign it had announced would begin this week. At this point, however, only boosters using the Pfizer vaccine can be considered.

“This pandemic is dynamic and evolving, with new data about vaccine safety and effectiveness becoming available every day,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement announcing the authorization. “As we learn more about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, including the use of a booster dose, we will continue to evaluate the rapidly changing science and keep the public informed.”

While the FDA’s ruling means boosters will not currently be available to as broad a population as the Biden administration had hoped, the groups indicated could encompass a large proportion of the adult American population.