The Biden administration is considering a plan that would allow all adults to get a second Covid booster shot, according to a person with knowledge of the plan.
The plan stems from concerns from White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top Biden administration officials about the current rise in hospitalizations, fueled by the extremely contagious omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5, the person said.
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Covid hospitalizations have been rising modestly across the United States as the subvariants continue to make up a greater proportion of new cases.
BA.4 and BA.5 — considered the most contagious forms of the virus to date — made up about 70% of all new Covid cases in the U.S. for the week ending July 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Washington Post first reported the news that the administration is considering a second booster. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The plan has not yet been finalized and could change, the person said. It would still need the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC to sign off.
Federal health regulators in late March signed off on a second Covid booster for people ages 50 and older and immunocompromised individuals amid a rise in cases caused by an earlier omicron subvariant, called BA.2.
Only about 30% of people eligible for a second booster have received it, according to CDC data.
Experts at that time said health officials may have a hard time persuading people to get a second booster because Covid cases and hospitalizations were low.
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
