BREAKING: FDA authorizes another COVID booster for those aged 50 and older

File / eExtra News

U.S. regulators have just announced they have approved another COVID-19 booster shot for those aged 50 years and older – just in case the coronavirus comes back with a vengeance.

The Food and Drug Administration’s decision means a fourth dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines for people whose last vaccine was at least four months ago.

This latest decision is based on age, and not just on the health status of the person wanting the shot. This means millions more Americans will be eligible.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, during the U.S. Omicron wave, two doses were about 80 percent effective against needing a ventilator or, worse, death. A booster, they said, pushed that protection up to 94 percent.

According to reports, the government will hold a public meeting next week to debate if everyone eventually will need a fourth dose, likely this fall.