Mitt Romney says COVID-19 booster shots should be available

Senator Mitt Romney said on Tuesday that he and others were ready for a COVID-19 recall and expressed frustration during a Senate hearing that a third vaccination against the deadly virus is already available in some countries, including Israel but not the United States.

“There are a number of us who would line up to get a recall,” Romney said during a US Senate hearing on health, education, work and pensions over the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, urging Dr. Janet Woodcock, the acting administrator of the United States Food and Drug Administration, for a timeline.

“How long will it be before we can get enough information to allow Americans who want more vaccines to do so?” Are we talking about weeks? Are we talking about months? Asked the Republican senator from Utah, wondering why data from other countries could not be used to speed up the process.

“The agencies represented here are all monitoring this with extreme attention,” Woodcock said, noting that nearly all of the current coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths in the country are in Americans who have not yet been vaccinated.

“I understand that,” Romney interrupted. “But I’m looking at the data coming out of Israel and people who have a double vaccination are still susceptible to the delta variant (of the coronavirus) for severe illness and death. They show that if they get a booster, it’s significantly reduced.

He asked why the federal government should not allow “the elderly or those suffering from other health problems to benefit from this recall”. Israel began offering a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine to adults with weakened immune systems earlier this month.

Woodcock said the FDA was considering booster injections, but additional clearance would be needed. Currently, three vaccines are approved for emergency use in the United States – from Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two doses for a complete vaccination while Johnson & Johnson is a single dose.

Stefani Reynolds, Associated Press

Romney has said he hears from people who want extra hits.

They are “at risk and worried. They want to take this booster, they’re willing to take that extra risk, ”he said, adding that they were looking for an extra injection for extra protection. “Why can’t they? I understand you won’t leave them yet, but when will you leave them?

Woodcock said Pfizer has announced plans to give booster shots and should include data from Israel to support demand. “The FDA will look into this,” she said.

“I’m sure you will,” Romney said. “I don’t like the delay, frankly, since it’s being done elsewhere. “

The senator also raised the issue of vaccine reluctance, attributing in part to “false conspiracy theories” and possible efforts by enemies of the United States using social media to try to bring people to reject the shots. But he says another reason some people remain reluctant is that they don’t know why the data says they should.

“They are like ‘OK, is this really a good thing for my 16 year old daughter? What are the serious side effects of this vaccine for a 16 year old teenager compared to the likelihood of him getting very ill ‘”, asking if this type of information was readily available since some claim it is hidden or under- valued.

Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there were “a myriad of reasons” Americans were not getting vaccinated and data was being collected and available to help local policymakers. public health to respond to their concerns.

“We cover the whole gamut,” Walensky said.