TULSA, Okla. — Booster shots are at the center of a public debate on how to handle the pandemic moving forward. Late last week, an FDA committee rejected Pfizer's plan to offer booster doses for everyone.
The rejection came with an alternative plan to offer the booster shots for some Americans. The committee voted unanimously to offer it to older Americans ages 65 and older and also for patients who had an increased risk of developing a severe illness from COVID-19.
That vote isn't set in stone, the FDA is expected to formally approve the booster shots for those groups as early as tomorrow.
Experts at St. Francis say they are eagerly awaiting their recommendations. Dr. David Donald, director for pharmacy services, mentioned a study on the efficacy of booster doses in a news briefing Monday. He says booster doses would significantly lower the spread of the virus among those with waning antibodies.
“Getting a third dose lowered the rate of confirmed infection by a factor of 11.3. So, that’s actually talking about the decrease in the spread of the virus. So that would obviously be a hugely important factor. It also lowered the risk of severe illness by a factor of 19.5 even in those patients with two doses. It decreases the risk of illness and decreases the risk of spread,” Dr. Donald said.
Once the CDC advisory committee meets to discuss booster shots, the staff at St. Francis hospital are already making plans to start administering those shots.
To learn more about federal guidance on COVID-19 booster vaccines, CLICK HERE.
Trending Stories:
- Broken Arrow police identify victim, suspect from Sunday night homicide
- DOWNLOAD the 2 News Oklahoma app for alerts
- Local food truck brings a taste of Venezuela to Tulsa
- FOLLOW 2 News Oklahoma on Facebook
- Seahawks star Tyler Lockett honors Tulsa restaurant with Waffle That! cleats
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
