Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said Tuesday that the Biden administration has not been sold on COVID-19 booster shots, following a meeting between top administration health officials and Pfizer.
“I want to make clear that the data from Pfizer is one part of a much larger puzzle, if you will, and we look at data from multiple sources,” Murthy said on Tuesday. “What we’re really looking for is clear evidence that immunity is waning. … If boosters are required, we will have the supply to provide it to the public.”
PFIZER TO BRIEF BIDEN HEALTH OFFICIALS ON COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER SHOT POSSIBILITY
Murthy was present in closed-door talks Monday between Pfizer representatives and federal health officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, to discuss the company’s findings to support the need for a third dose of vaccine. While Murthy said the group “had a good conversation with Pfizer,” the administration has not publicized other details of the meeting.
The findings that Pfizer researchers presented to administration officials have also not been made public despite the company’s announcement last week that it would make the case to federal regulators for extended authorization to administer the third dose. The company said that early data from the booster study suggested that people’s antibody levels jumped fivefold to tenfold after a third dose compared to those levels after receiving the second dose months earlier.
“We don’t have a clear timeline yet because it’s driven in part by the data … and as soon as this signal pops that tells us that there is a decrease in immunity … at that point, we’ll go forth and make the recommendation,” Murthy said.
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Murthy’s comments following the meeting come shortly after Fauci said Sunday that health officials do not believe vaccine boosters are needed “right now,” adding that the majority of new hospitalizations due to COVID-19 were primarily among unvaccinated populations.
