Healthcare workers and older Americans would be among the first to receive COVID-19 boosters as early as fall, according to National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Francis Collins, M.D. He said Sunday the NIH is watching the virus carefully and could decide in the next couple of weeks if booster shots are warranted.
“There is a concern that the vaccine may start to wane in its effectiveness,” Collins told the Associated Press. “And, the delta variant is a nasty one for us to try to deal with.”
Health officials from the NIH and Centers for Disease Control have been closely monitoring the virus, which has been on the rise since early July. At the end of last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported nearly 147,000 new cases — the most since January.
The U.S. is holding off on boosters because so far people who are fully vaccinated appear to be highly protected from COVID-19, including the highly contagious delta variant. It is, however, recommending a third dose for people who have compromised immune systems.
In Louisiana, a COVID-19 hot spot, booster shots are now available to people with weakened immune systems. The Louisiana Department of Public Health said Friday it would follow CDC guidelines and make a third Pfizer and Moderna shot available to people whose immune systems have been weakened by cancer treatment, organ transplants or other conditions.
According to the CDC, 59% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 are fully vaccinated, while 80% of those over the age of 65 are fully vaccinated.
