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Older Americans will soon have access to the newly authorized second COVID-19 booster shot.
On Tuesday (March 29), The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved another dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for adults 50 and up. Those eligible just need to wait four months after receiving their first booster before getting another shot.
According to USA Today, the second booster is most important for people over 65 and those over 50-years-old who have underlying medical conditions that raise their risk of developing severe symptoms from Covid-19.
CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement that people 50 and older are “the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time.”
On Wednesday (March 30) President Joe Biden received the second booster and announced a new all-encompassing website, COVID.gov, that will house resources and information related to COVID-19 vaccines and pharmacy locations.
For eligible patients, Walgreens will open up online appointments for the second vaccine booster starting Friday (April 1). A CVS spokesperson said their pharmacy chain “will soon” be administering the shot, but didn’t clarify an exact timeline for when people can begin scheduling appointments.
Studies show a second COVID-19 booster will help with waning immunity after a third shot. Some reports say vaccine effectiveness decreases three to six months after the first booster, so a second booster shot could decrease the chance of severe repercussions from the virus. However, for those who are healthy and under the age of 50, data suggests a fourth dose of the vaccine isn't necessary because it won’t significantly benefit them.
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