Americans over the age of 60 should receive a second booster vaccine against coronavirus, said on Sunday Dr. Ashish K. Ja, the new Covid-19 response coordinator at the White House, citing “quite convincing” new data from Israel that shows that the fourth injection has significantly reduced infections and deaths among the elderly there.
Dr. Ja’s comments in Fox News Sunday came after the Food and Drug Administration approved a second booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for everyone aged 50 and over on March 29.
The FDA said the move was an effort to bolster declining immunity to severe disease, as the more contagious sub-variant of Omicron, known as BA.2, appears to be the dominant version of the virus in the United States.
Asked if Americans should receive a second booster injection, Dr. Ja, who was appointed coordinator of the Biden administration’s Covid-19 response last month, said Israeli research showed that the fourth injection offered strong protection, especially against severe diseases in people over 60.
“The data from Israel is quite convincing for people over 60,” he said. “When people received this second booster injection four months after their first dose, what we saw was a significant reduction not only in infections but also in deaths. So I think people over 60 should get it. “
An Israeli study did not provide data on the effectiveness of a second booster in people under 60. Israel has authorized a fourth dose of Pfizer-BioNTech for those aged 60 and over, as well as for other high-risk populations in January.
In a separate statement on This Week with George Stefanopoulos, Dr. Ja said a second booster photo for Americans between the ages of 50 and 59 was “a much closer solution.” People in this age group should consult a doctor before receiving a second booster, he said.
“Fifty to 59, you meet the conditions,” he said, noting that getting a second booster depends on the person’s risk profile.
“But for me, based on data, 60 and over, I think it’s very reasonable,” he said. “That’s what I recommended to my elderly parents, and that’s what I think people should do.”
Dr Ja said it remains to be seen whether BA.2 will cause more severe disease than earlier variants and subvariants of the virus. The number of cases is increasing, but hospitalizations are “at the lowest level of the pandemic,” he told the Press Council.
“The good news is that our vaccines are doing very well against BA.2, against all variants of Omicron, especially if you have been boosted,” he said. “So the key here is that you have to have the first two shots and you have to have a booster. That’s what really protects people right now. “
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