A key advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) voted Thursday to endorse the administration of Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shots to those 65 and older, nursing home residents, and people who are 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions.
The advisory panel also said boosters can be offered to people 18 to 49 if they have underlying medical conditions, The Associated Press and CNBC report.
The advisory panel’s endorsement clears the way for the CDC to give the final approval for millions of people to receive booster shots. That could happen as early as Thursday evening.
The panel’s backing comes a day after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended its emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s booster shots, allowing people 65 years and older to get the third dose.
The FDA also says adults who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 can get the booster shot. In addition, adults who work in settings that put them at serious risk of COVID-19 are eligible for the vaccine.
The boosters should be administered at least 6 months after a person completed their first vaccine series, which includes two shots, according to the FDA.
The booster is currently only available for the Pfizer vaccine. The FDA still needs to review data from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson before authorizing a booster shot from those companies.
