FDA panel considers need for broader use of COVID-19 booster shots
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An advisory panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently weighing how and when to use additional COVID-19 booster shots for the general population at a meeting on Wednesday.
The panelists are not expected to take a vote on a specific issue. However, the discussion could help inform a future strategy on booster shots.
The FDA has already authorized a second booster of Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/ BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) and Moderna (NASDAQ:MRNA) COVID-19 vaccines for Americans aged 50 years and older.
 "This discussion today is a much larger discussion - it's a discussion for what do we do about the entire population, and what do we do when we think the virus has evolved further," Reuters reported quoting Peter Marks, who heads the FDA unit responsible for vaccine safety.
The panel was given data showing that the vaccines lose much of their efficacy in preventing infections, although they retain protection against severe disease. That indicates a potential need to update the vaccines to target future variants, the FDA said.
Ahead of the meeting, a peer-reviewed study conducted in Israel showed a sharp drop in the efficacy of the Pfizer (PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX) vaccine in preventing the infection. However, it continued to lower the risk of severe disease in the elderly trial participants.
Read: This week, Moderna (MRNA) Chief Executive Stephane Bancel outlined plans to introduce an âannual iPhone-like booster.â