US OKs 3rd Covid-19 vax dose for immunocompromised people

WASHINGTON – The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday authorized the third dose of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines for people with weakened immune systems.

“The country has entered yet another wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the FDA is especially cognizant that immunocompromised people are particularly at risk for severe disease,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.

“After a thorough review of the available data, the FDA determined that this small, vulnerable group may benefit from a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Vaccines,” Woodcock added.

She added that the FDA is actively engaged in a science-based, rigorous process “with our federal partners to consider whether an additional dose may be needed in the future”.

An estimated 2.7 percent of adults in the United States are immunocompromised, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

These include organ transplant recipients, certain cancer patients, and people with HIV. (Xinhua)