The epidemiologist Dr. Anne Rimoin told CNBC that she and Dr. Anthony Fauci, Senior Medical Advisor to the White House, agreed when he said that one day everyone will “likely” need a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccines.
“Well, I think Dr. Fauci is right,” said Rimoin, a professor of epidemiology at the UCLA School of Public Health.
“What will warrant a booster is when we see real, diminishing effectiveness of this vaccine in saving people from serious illness, hospitalization, or death. We’re not there yet, but if we are, then we go” a booster need.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday gave final approval to give Covid-19 booster vaccinations to recipients of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, hours after a key panel unanimously voted to allow third doses for immunocompromised Americans advocate. The CDC’s decision followed the approval of the booster vaccination for immunocompromised patients by the Food and Drug Administration late Thursday.
Rimoin told CNBC The News with Shepard Smith that both agencies have made a “really important” decision when it comes to the immunocompromised population.
“When they got the vaccine, they didn’t really develop an immune response enough to protect themselves against this virus,” said Rimoin. “Therefore, both the FDA and CDC are currently recommending an additional dose for these people, which studies have shown to improve the immune response in about 1/3 to 1/2 of the population.”
Immunocompromised patients make up approximately 2.7% of the US adult population and 44% of breakthrough hospital-treated infections that make someone infected even after being fully vaccinated.
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