A group of top doctors and scientists pressed the Biden administration to scale back its plans to provide COVID-19 booster shots to all fully vaccinated adults, Politico reported this week.
According to the report, several of these outside experts aired their concerns regarding the Biden administration’s booster shot campaign in an off-the-record call last week with federal health officials. The experts said that current U.S. data on vaccine performance does not justify the widespread use of booster shots to combat breakthrough COVID-19 cases and slow the spread — despite that being what Biden pushed for.
In the call, which reportedly occurred Sept. 27, the experts said that boosters should be given only to people with the highest risk of severe COVID-19 to reduce hospitalization and death. Currently, Pfizer’s booster shot has received Emergency Use Authorization clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) among limited groups, while Johnson & Johnson is seeking FDA approval for their booster and Moderna works on developing a booster.
As Matt reported, last month, an FDA panel shot down the Biden administration's plan for COVID-19 boosters for the general public. The panel approved the use of the Pfizer booster shot for those who are 65 and older and for those who are at high risk of contracting severe covid.
Additionally, two GOP congressmen wrote a letter to the FDA last month inquiring about the Biden administration’s interference with the FDA’s recommendation of booster shots. The letter pointed out that two top FDA officials reportedly resigned over Biden’s booster shot agenda.
“Without evidence and data, President Biden announced that booster doses of the mRNA vaccines would be available for Americans starting September 20, 2021. Top scientists and researchers were stunned by this decision – particularly because the CDC and the FDA had not yet conducted their independent review of the data,” the congressmen wrote in the letter. “The political manipulation and pressure to interfere with the science by President Biden’s White House reportedly contributed to the decision of two top career scientists, Marion Gruber and Phil Krause, who were key in the vaccine process, to leave the FDA. They felt that the FDA was being sidelined by the Biden Administration and ‘what finally did it for them was the White House getting ahead of FDA on booster shots.’” The two FDA officials who resigned previously took part in approving vaccines.
In August, Biden said in remarks from the White House to “[j]ust remember, as a simple rule, eight months after your second shot, get a booster shot.” A month later, Biden reiterated his plan for boosters, saying “I know there’s been some confusion about boosters, so let me be clear. Last month, our top government doctors announced an initial plan for booster shots for vaccinated Americans.They believe that a booster is likely to provide the highest level of protection yet.”