Preparations for another potential round of COVID-19 vaccines are prompting more questions than answers as federal health officials contend with the threat of future variants amid waning public interest in additional shots.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month OK’d a second round of boosters for anyone over 50 and certain people with compromised immune systems. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky has urged those with high-risk medical conditions and seniors over 65 to roll up their sleeves.
But the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee last week debated whether more boosters for the broader public should be modeled off the original virus, or if scientists should create a unique vaccine series modeled off a newer variant. A similar CDC advisory committee will meet April 20 to continue the booster discussion, although the agenda has not been published.
