Biden administration to start offering vaccine booster shots on Sept 20

The Biden administration will start offering booster shots in late September to all vaccinated Americans as the coronavirus delta variant continues its nationwide spread. In a joint statement Wednesday, the top US public health officials said a third dose of Pfizer and Moderna shots “will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.”

“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout,” according to the statement citing health officials including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, Food and Drug Administration Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci.

The US will begin issuing more booster shots as soon as Sept. 20 to people who received their second shot at least eight months earlier, according to the statement. The plan is still subject to an independent evaluation and clearance by the FDA.