Pfizer and partner BioNTech have asked the FDA to allow booster shots of their COVID-19 vaccine for all adults, Pfizer announced Nov. 9.
The drugmaker said it is basing the request on data from a phase 3 clinical trial involving more than 10,000 patients that was conducted when delta was the prevalent virus strain. The data showed a booster shot given to people who had previously gotten a two-dose course of Pfizer's vaccine was 95 percent effective against COVID-19 compared to people who didn't get a booster, and no new safety concerns were identified.
A booster dose of Pfizer's shot is already authorized for people ages 65 and older, adults at high risk of severe COVID-19 infection and adults whose jobs put them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, at least six months after their two-dose series. A booster of Moderna's vaccine is authorized for the same populations and the same time period, and Johnson & Johnson's is authorized for all adults at least two months after their first dose.
More than 25 million people in the U.S. have gotten a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 9, according to CDC data.
It's unclear how long it will take for the FDA to act on Pfizer's request.
Read Pfizer's full news release here.