FDA OKs 2nd COVID Booster For Those Immunocompromised Or Over 50

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Americans aged 50 and up, as well as those who are immunocompromised, could soon be eligible for a second booster vaccination against COVID-19.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized an additional booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for older people and for some immunocompromised people who are at higher risk for severe disease, hospitalization and death.

The news comes as the new omicron sub-variant BA.2 has led to a slight uptick in new coronavirus cases in New York.

On Monday, the state's positivity rate stood at 2.9 percent, with a 7-day rolling average of 14.7 cases per 100,000 residents. The Hudson Valley's positivity rate was 3.1 percent, with a 7-day rolling average of 11.8 cases per 100,000 residents.

Compare that to March 13, when the positivity rate was 1.5 percent in both the Hudson Valley and all of New York. There were 8.2 cases per 100,000 residents in the state and 7.2 cases per 100,000 in the region.

In the Hudson Valley, there were 60 people in hospital Monday who had COVID-19; just under half had been admitted for COVID or COVID complications and 52 percent were there for other reasons and tested positive after admission. Statewide, a total of 821 people were hospitalized with COVID-19.

Of the eight New Yorkers who died of it Monday, one was a Westchester resident.

Gov. Kathy Hochul urged those eligible to get boosted.

Emerging evidence suggests that a second booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine improves protection against severe COVID-19 and is not associated with new safety concerns, the FDA said.

The date the vaccinations become available depends upon when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weighs in on who is eligible, the Washington Post reported.

"The best way to protect ourselves and others from this virus is by using the tools we know work," Hochul said. "The booster dose improves your protection against severe illness and hospitalization, so don't delay in getting one once you are eligible. Let's continue to safely move forward through this pandemic."

The FDA amended the emergency use authorization to allow for a second booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna vaccine for those 50 years of age and older at least four months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.

A second booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna may be administered to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immunocompromise, at least 4 months after a first booster, the FDA said. Those eligible include people who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or who are living with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise, the FDA said.

“Current evidence suggests some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals. Based on an analysis of emerging data, a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could help increase protection levels for these higher-risk individuals,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “Additionally, the data show that an initial booster dose is critical in helping to protect all adults from the potentially severe outcomes of COVID-19. So, those who have not received their initial booster dose are strongly encouraged to do so.”

Patch Editor Lisa Finn contributed to this report.