The FDA and the CDC issued a joint statement on COVID-19 vaccine boosters, stating that people who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating the country, such as the Delta variant.
At this time, virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated, and unvaccinated individuals remain at risk.
Both the FDA and CDC agree that vaccinated adults do not require a booster shot at this time. The FDA, CDC, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether a booster might be necessary, taking into account laboratory data, clinical trial data, and cohort data – which can include but is not limited to data from specific pharmaceutical companies.
At this time, the science does not demonstrate a need for COVID-19 vaccine boosters, but the FDA and CDC remain prepared for booster doses if more scientific research finds that boosters are necessary.
