The FDA is reviewing data to determine whether to authorize a fourth dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in the fall, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal in a Feb. 19 report.
Four details:
1. Authorization of a second booster dose of Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines will largely be dependent on whether studies establish the extra dose boosts people's immune response that may have waned after a third dose, officials told the Journal.
2. Regulators are also considering whether second boosters should be cleared for certain age groups or all adults and whether the shot should target omicron. Moderna and Pfizer have begun testing omicron-specific vaccines.
3. People familiar with the FDA's planning also told the Journal a fourth shot could ultimately be the start of a campaign for annual booster shots.
4. The CDC earlier this month released a study that found the effectiveness of mRNA boosters drops after about four months, though they still offer significant protection against hospitalization, the report said.