Status: 18.09.2021 02:23 a.m.
A panel of experts from the US FDA has spoken out against booster vaccinations for most people. However, this would make sense for seniors over 65 and members of risk groups.
A panel of experts from the US Food and Drug Administration recommends Corona booster vaccinations with the agent from BioNTech / Pfizer only for the elderly and risk groups. The influential group of scientists came to the conclusion on Friday, after hours of discussion, that the available data did not justify a general introduction of a third dose of vaccine for people older than 16 years. For seniors over 65 and members of risk groups, a third dose would make sense, it said.
US President Joe Biden had spoken out in favor of a further dose for everyone whose second vaccination was more than eight months ago in view of decreasing immunity to Covid-19. Recently, however, researchers in the specialist magazine “The Lancet” had expressed doubts about Corona booster vaccinations for everyone: “The previous study situation shows no need to administer boosters on a broad front in population groups with effective, complete vaccinations,” it said.
Better to distribute the vaccine worldwide
The globally limited number of vaccine doses could save most lives if it benefited people who are at considerable risk of developing serious illnesses and who are still unvaccinated.
The background to this is that in some rich countries people are thinking about booster vaccinations for everyone, while elsewhere hardly anyone has yet been vaccinated. The WHO had already called for a temporary stop of booster vaccinations against the coronavirus at the beginning of August, as long as many poorer countries are still waiting for vaccine doses.