Pfizer COVID recalls: who is eligible, vaccine availability and more

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday approved a booster for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for up to 60 million Americans, canceling a CDC Advisory Group which proposed narrower eligibility. The new recommendation will cover certain groups – such as those 65 and over as well as many high-risk people – who have been fully immunized for six months, President Joe Biden said. According to Biden, that means 20 million people are now eligible.

Numerous studies show that the effectiveness of vaccines can start to decline after six to eight months, and a vaccine booster would increase immune protection against COVID-19 and its variants. To prepare for the next booster vaccinations, President Joe Biden said the government has an adequate supply of the three vaccines in circulation in the United States: Pfizer, Modern and Johnson & johnson.

During the summer, while the delta variant in the United States, the number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 has increased. Vaccines approved by the Food and Drug Administration have been shown to be very effective in preventing hospitalizations. Those who go unvaccinated account for nearly all hospitalizations and deaths – over 97% in July. With the new federal immunization warrants, the Biden administration aims to counter the tide and put pressure on anyone who didn’t get the blow.

We will explain below who is now eligible for the Pfizer recall. For more on COVID-19, here’s what we know about COVID-19 vaccine for children, the last advice on masks and breakthrough infections. And here’s what you need to know about the new federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates – and what if you lost your vaccination card.

Who is currently eligible for the Pfizer recall?

After two days of discussion, an advisory committee of the CDC voted Thursday recommend a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster people aged 65 and over, residents of nursing homes, and people aged 50 to 64 with underlying health conditions. The CDC panel, however, stopped short of accepting a Pfizer booster for those whose labor puts them at a higher risk of serious infection.

On Friday morning, Dr Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rescinded the advisory committee’s recommendation and expanded the group to include workers whose jobs put them at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Here’s who is eligible for a Pfizer recall:

• People 65 years of age and over and residents of long-term care facilities should be reminded.
• People aged 50 to 64 with an underlying medical condition should be reminded.
• People 18 to 49 years old with an underlying disease may be boosted if they believe their risk of infection is high.
• People between the ages of 18 and 64 who are at increased risk because of their work – such as hospital workers, teachers, or grocery store workers – may be reminded if they rate their risk of infection as high.

CDC ruling only applies to people vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine, not those who received the vaccine Modern Where Johnson & johnson vaccines. A recall recommendation for these two vaccines is expected in the coming weeks, US surgeon general Vivek Murthy said on Friday.

When can I receive the Pfizer recall?

From today. According to White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients, up to 20 million people received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago and are now eligible for the Pfizer booster.

State and local health officials have already started rolling out campaigns to help the public better understand who qualifies immediately, according to the New York Times.

What is an “underlying medical condition”?

The CDC said adults of any age may be more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19 with an underlying medical condition. Here’s what the CDC lists as underlying conditions:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic lung diseases
• Neurological conditions, such as dementia
• Diabetes
• Down Syndrome
• Heart disease
• HIV infection
• Liver disease
• Overweight
• Pregnancy and recently pregnant
• Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
• Smoking, current or former
• Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant
• Stroke or cerebrovascular disease
• Substance use disorders
• Weakened immune system

Apart from the underlying conditions, the CDC said older people are more likely to become seriously ill from COVID-19.

Why would I need a Pfizer recall?

If you’re fully vaccinated, the CDC says you’ll continue to be protected against infections and especially serious illnesses. All COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the FDA continue to be “very effective in reducing the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death,” according to the CDC.

However, recent studies – like that from Israel and one from the UK – suggest that the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines may decline after six or eight months, requiring a booster to maintain high levels of protection against Revolutionary COVID-19 infections.

This month, Pfizer released data from its FDA claim, arguing that immunity wanes over time and giving boosters is a way to get ahead and contain the pandemic. Pfizer also presented what it considers to be proof that a booster will be safe and effective for the majority of adults.

What is the controversy around COVID booster shots?

President Joe Biden has said he wants everyone in the United States who is already fully vaccinated to be eligible for a booster. The FDA, however, said the data needs to be further scrutinized by experts before opening the boosters to anyone. Instead, the FDA recommended that people aged 65 and over be eligible, as well as those at high risk of severe symptoms of COVID-19 – which include frontline and healthcare workers. The CDC’s decision follows the FDA recommendation.

The tension over who should get callbacks remains high. More recently, leading scientists argued in the medical journal The Lancet that widespread distribution of booster shots was not appropriate at this time.

Meanwhile, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, has called for a moratorium on booster doses until each country is able to immunize at least 40% of its population. . “I will not remain silent when the companies and countries that control the global vaccine supply think the world’s poor should be content with leftovers,” Tedros said earlier this month.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has repeatedly said that having enough boosters for the United States does not reduce the number of vaccines the United States provides to other countries. “We believe this is a wrong choice and that we can do both,” Psaki said in August, adding that the United States has donated more vaccines globally than all other countries combined.

During a COVID-19 White House briefing on September 17, Zients said the United States had distributed 140 million doses of the vaccine to nearly 100 countries and had purchased 500 million doses of Pfizer from give to the countries most in need in order to accelerate a global exit from the pandemic.

Who had already been entitled to a Pfizer or Moderna booster?

Some immunocompromised people are already eligible according to CDC guidelines and can go out now to receive their third dose. The CDC’s recall recommendation is for ages 12 and older for the Pfizer vaccine. For the Moderna vaccine, the CDC recommends 18 years and older. The FDA has not authorized a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for immunocompromised people due to a lack of data.

The CDC recommends that you speak with your health care provider about your condition and find out if an extra dose is appropriate. See our guide to the booster vaccine to learn more about a booster injection for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Is the Pfizer booster the same as the first two shots?

Yes. According to Pfizer, its COVID-19 booster would be a third vaccine of the same vaccine you received with the first two doses.

In addition, Pfizer is working with its partner BioNTech on a version of the COVID-19 vaccine that targets the delta variant.

Where can I get a reminder?

According to Zients, the boosters will be available in approximately 80,000 locations across the country, including more than 40,000 local pharmacies. About 90% of Americans have a vaccination site within 5 miles of where they live, Zients said, and getting a booster will be just as easy as getting the first vaccine. And the callback will be free too.

You can visit Vaccines.gov to see which vaccines are available where or call 1-800-232-0233 for vaccine information.

For more on coronavirus treatments and vaccines, here’s what we know about monoclonal antibody treatments, new federal vaccine mandates and why some people may not want the shot.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute health or medical advice. Always consult a doctor or other qualified healthcare professional with any questions you may have about a health problem or health goals.