FDA advisory panel schedules April 6 meeting to discuss additional COVID booster shots

FDA advisory panel to discuss additional COVID booster shots in April A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel will meet April 6 to discuss COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, the agency announced Monday. Nathaniel Weixel TheHill

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The meeting comes amid a renewed debate about who might need booster shots and the broader goals of the U.S. vaccination campaign. ...

An initial round of doses, plus a single booster, is enough protection to keep most people out of the hospital. The debate is whether trying to increase antibody levels every few months to protect against any infection, including mild and asymptomatic, is a reasonable goal. 

Both Pfizer and Moderna have filed applications for emergency use authorization of a second booster dose of their vaccines; Pfizer's request is for older adults ages 65 and older, while Moderna requested authorization for all adults.

However, the FDA said the advisory panel will not be discussing any specific applications, and no vote is planned. The meeting is aimed at addressing the possibility of variant-specific vaccines, as well as the timing and populations for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in the coming months....