ABC News: FDA could authorize second booster shots for Americans over 50 this week

(ABC News/WRTV) — Two officials familiar with the matter tell ABC News the FDA could authorize second booster shots for Americans over 50 years old as soon as Tuesday.

The officials stressed that the details are still under discussion and could change in the next few days.

If the FDA authorizes it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will then give guidance on how to implement it in pharmacies and doctors offices nationwide.

ABC News reports the language from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is expected to be that people over 50 may get a second booster shot, rather than should get a second booster shot.

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FDA's panel of experts will convene on April 6 to discuss the broader population and what population will need booster shots next, as well as the need for a variant-specific booster.

Officials weighing the decision are also considering that anyone who gets a booster this spring would likely get boosted again when they are recommended for the broader public later this year, potentially in the fall, according to another person familiar with the matter.