Fauci says COVID-19 booster shots likely for some groups

Dr Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that it is likely that the elderly, as well as others with weakened immune systems, will need to be given booster shots to protect them against COVID-19.

The White House chief medical adviser said the groups are unlikely to have had a strong immune response to the vaccine and may need a third dose.

“There’s no question that over time you’re going to have a mitigation of protection,” Fauci said on NBC News’s “Meet the Press”.

“If you look at the data from Pfizer – Pfizer shows it went from the 90s to around 84 after a few months,” said Fauci, referring to data which shows the degree of effectiveness of the vaccine stabilizes within months. after receiving it shoot.

“The recent data for Moderna shows that it’s not really going down, but everyone is assuming, and I rightly believe, that sooner or later you’re going to see a mitigation to the point where we’re going to have to give it an extra boost. people, most likely elderly people, before giving it to otherwise normal people who are not elderly, ”he concluded.

Fauci said the booster injections will begin to be given to vulnerable groups “as soon as the data reaches us”.

“We follow him on a weekly basis. As soon as it looks like it drops below a tipping point, we’re going to get the vaccines for these people, ”Fauci said.

His comments come as the Food and Drug Administration is reportedly preparing to approve boosters for people with weakened immune systems within the next week or two.

Fauci said on Sunday that the agency’s decision on whether or not to grant full approval for the three COVID-19 vaccines – Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – currently on the market in the United States – is also on the horizon. United under emergency use authorization.

“I hope it will be in the next few weeks. I hope it will be in August, ”said Fauci.