US regulators on Friday moved to open up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, expanding the government's campaign to shore up protection and get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that may worsen with the holidays. Pfizer and Moderna announced the Food and Drug Administration's decision after at least 10 states already had started offering boosters to all adults. The latest action stands to simplify what until now has been a confusing list of who's eligible by allowing anyone 18 or older to choose either company's booster six months after their last dose — regardless of which vaccine they had first. But there's one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree to expand Pfizer and Moderna boosters to even healthy young adults. Its scientific advisers were set to debate later Friday, The Associated Press (AP) reported. If the CDC agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year. Anyone who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine can already get a booster. All three COVID-19 vaccines used in the U.S. offer strong protection against severe illness including hospitalization and death without boosters, but protection against infection can wane with time. Previously, the government had cleared boosters of Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine, as well as the similar Moderna vaccine, only for vulnerable groups including older Americans and people with chronic health problems. But Pfizer last week asked the FDA to expand that decision to everyone, citing new data from a study of 10,000 people. Ultimately, the FDA decided there was enough evidence, from studies and real-world use of boosters, to back the expansion for both Pfizer and Moderna. "Streamlining the eligibility criteria and making booster doses available to all individuals 18 years of age and older will also help to eliminate confusion about who may receive a booster dose and ensure booster doses are available to all who may need one," FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said. The move to expand comes as new COVID-19 cases have climbed steadily over the last two weeks, especially in states where colder weather is driving people indoors. — Agencies
