US Expected to Approve Third Shot of COVID-19 Vaccines for Some Americans
Voice of America
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize a third shot of a COVID-19 vaccine for some people with weakened immune systems.
News outlets say the FDA will likely approve a third shot of either the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine as soon as Thursday. An advisory panel of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will meet Friday to discuss giving booster shots of COVID-19 vaccines for some people with compromised immune systems. Scientists have been debating whether to offer extra doses of COVID-19 vaccines to certain immunocompromised people, such as organ transplant recipients or cancer patients. A recent study by Johns Hopkins University found that many transplant patients had little to no antibody protections after receiving the full two doses of a vaccine, but a third shot boosted their antibody protections. Anywhere between 3 million and 9 million Americans have weakened immune systems, either due to disease or because of medications they take.
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