COVID vaccine booster shots to be approved after 6 months, not 8 months: report


In this Feb. 25, 2021, file photo, vials for the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines are displayed.

Federal regulators are expected to approve COVID-19 booster shots for fully vaccinated adults on a tighter timetable than previously touted by the White House, according to a new report.

The third doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots are due to be approved for use as little as six months after a patient completes their prior two-dose regimen, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

President Biden and the White House previously said they planned to recommend people sign up for their booster shoots eight months after getting their second jab.

Official approval for booster shots is expected in mid-September, according to the Journal. That means anyone who got their second shot in mid-March or earlier could be immediately eligible, though immunocompromised people and others at greater risk would likely be given first priority.

The timeline change is anticipated because the Food and Drug Administration has been reviewing data based on people getting boosters after six months, not eight, the Journal reported.

Multiple studies have shown that boosters can increase and extend the efficacy of Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA-based vaccines.

That boost would provide increased protection for already vaccinated people as the coronavirus delta variant continues to spread rapidly across the U.S. On Monday, the U.S. recorded more positive COVID tests than on any day since early January.

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