FDA Authorizes Second Dose of Updated Covid Booster for Older Adults and Immunocompromised Individuals

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a second dose of the updated Covid booster for older adults and people with weakened immune systems. This new bivalent formula will be used in all Covid vaccines moving forward and will replace the multi-dose primary series for those who have not yet been vaccinated.

The FDA stated that those 65 and older can get a second dose of the updated versions of Pfizer-BioNTech’s and Moderna’s Covid booster at least four months after their last dose. People who are immunocompromised can get an additional dose at least two months after their last dose. This means people who haven’t been vaccinated yet would get a single dose of the updated vaccine.

The updated vaccines are designed to protect against the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron. The FDA also stated that seniors can get the dose as early as four months after their first shot of bivalent vaccine.

The FDA’s authorization of the second dose of the updated Covid booster is a step forward in the fight against the virus. This new bivalent formula is expected to provide additional protection against the virus and its variants. It is also hoped that this will help to reduce the spread of the virus and protect those who are most vulnerable.