Fauci Says Covid Boosters Likely to Start With Pfizer Shot Only

[left-of-center2012]

Source: Bloomberg

President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser said U.S. booster shots against Covid-19 are likely to start only with the vaccine by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE, while the Moderna Inc. shot may be delayed. “The bottom line is very likely at least part of the plan will be implemented, but ultimately the entire plan will be,” Anthony Fauci said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Fauci’s comments may lead to more clarity on the administration’s stance after Biden ran into resistance by medical experts who advise U.S. regulators over what they view as political interference in the review process. While Biden has set a Sept. 20 target for kicking off the booster campaign, safety and efficacy data require signoff by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.

Top medical officials, including CDC head Rochelle Walensky, warned the White House last week that regulators may only be able to act on the Pfizer shot, and possibly for just some groups of people, in the coming weeks, the New York Times has reported. Fauci said Moderna “is getting their data together” and may have submitted it by now. Any delay for Moderna would be “a couple of weeks -- if any,” he said. The company said Friday it had completed its submission to U.S. regulators.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-05/fauci-says-covid-boosters-likely-to-start-with-pfizer-shot-only?srnd=premium

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Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, criticized the Biden administration for “mixed messaging.”

“We need clear guidance on these booster shots because it undermines the credibility of it,” Hogan said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “I guess they slipped and pre-leaked an announcement about booster shots with all three vaccines and then had to backtrack it and say you can only use Pfizer.”

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain pushed back against criticism that the Biden administration is rushing booster shots ahead of the scientific evidence. CDC and FDA officials were involved in setting the week of Sept. 20 target date for booster clearance, he said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“We are ready to go as soon as the approval for the boosters comes from the FDA and from the CDC,” Klain said.

Fauci said plans for boosters involve using with the same brand as the original vaccination, but that mix-and-match studies are being done to determine of people who got one shot as the primary vaccine could take another as a booster.

[cadoman]

1. if Fauci is that confident it will be authorized why not go ahead and do it?

I mean, this is as un-hedged a phrasing as it gets:

“The bottom line is very likely at least part of the plan will be implemented, but ultimately the entire plan will be..."

Ultimately the entire plan will be. So what is the delay? We have the science and there is no question of its validity by any rational person.

Why are we delaying 100% mandates? Every day that we delay we are catering to fascism and putting lives in danger.

[left-of-center2012]

2. "Every day that we delay we are catering to fascism"

[JudyM]

4. Better to have it a couple of weeks earlier, certainly, with transmission rates spiking.

[groundloop]

3. "a Republican, criticized the Biden administration for mixed messaging"... Oh, that's rich

After over a year of "it's nothing to worry about", "it's no worse than a cold", "it'll just go away on it's own" these motherfuckers have the nerve to criticize President Biden over a small change in plans?

[Lucky Luciano]

16. Hogan has been less insane with the pandemic.

He even secured ventilators secretly early on so that TFG’s thugs wouldn’t confiscate them.

[displacedtexan]

20. Deciding between Bleach & Swimming Pool cleaner didn't seem to bother Hogan.

From March 1 to April 30, 2020, Donald J Trump made 11 tweets about unproven therapies and mentioned these therapies 65 times in White House briefings, especially touting hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine. These tweets had an impression reach of 300% above Donald J Trump’s average. Following these tweets, at least 2% of airtime on conservative networks for treatment modalities like azithromycin and continuous mentions of such treatments were observed on stations like Fox News. Google searches and purchases increased following his first press conference on March 19, 2020, and increased again following his tweets on March 21, 2020. The same is true for medications on Amazon, with purchases for medicine substitutes, such as hydroxychloroquine, increasing by 200%

https://www.jmir.org/2020/11/e20044/

[Normanart]

5. Operative phrase

In the second line of Hoganʻs quote, "I guess..."

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Remember that Pfizer was the first to get EUA approval,

the first to get full approval, and their vaccine has the highest percentage of distribution, so it makes sense for them to go first. Apparently Moderna's booster data submission for an EUA was incomplete at submission on September 1st, but I expect that will be reconciled.

I think they are also trying to get more months of data under the mix/match booster idea just to be sure in any case.

The main study here in the U.S. was still getting people signed up. E.g., UW was one of the participants (posting about it in July) - http://www.uwvteu.org/2021/07/12/mix-n-match-booster-covid-19-vaccine-clinical-trial/

[Maggiemayhem]

7. Good grief. So my colonoscopy and cataract removal which are set up will have to be rescheduled.

Hospitals make their money off these surgeries not antivaxxers with no insurance taking up all the ICU beds. Another holiday season spent at home. My county only gave out Maderna. Just give us the boosters already. The economy will be ruined and guess who will win the midterms.Dont announce policy if it is not going to happen.

[csziggy]

21. Both of those are outpatient procedures

And may not even done at a hospital, so they may not be delayed.

I'm waiting on an actual surgery. Once I had all the approvals, a month ago, one of the nurses in the surgeon's practice told me they do this type of surgery as outpatient often so they might be able to schedule it.

Friday after hearing nothing, I called in and the surgeon wants to do my surgery as inpatient (he wants me in the hospital at least one night because of past complications after surgery) - and the hospital is not doing ANY inpatient surgeries other than emergencies. The scheduling person and I agreed that we will try again in a month to see if they can get my surgery scheduled.

Here, colonoscopies are done at an endoscopic clinic, cataract surgeries at a specialist outpatient facility, so you may be able to got those done. I hope that is true where you live and you can get these done without delay.

[deurbano]

8. Dang, hopefully Moderna will be close behind. At least my daughter, who I worry about the most,

got Pfizer, unlike the rest of the family. I hope she is included in the "groups of people" who qualify the earliest.

[Skittles]

10. are they saying you have to get the brand you got before?

just curious

[deurbano]

11. At this point, it seems to keep evolving, but my understanding is the people who got Pfizer--or some

subset of the people who got Pfizer (the most vulnerable?)--will be first in line for a booster, partly because they may need it most, since Pfizer protection against Delta seems to fade a bit faster... and partly because they are the only booster approved?

I imagine there will be mixing eventually, but I'm not sure if that will happen in this phase. Here in SF, people who got J&J are already allowed 2nd shots of Moderna or Pfizer.

[left-of-center2012]

14. I read today that that is the case

I read that you should get the same brand.
But I also read they are doing studies to see if you can mix brands.

[BlueIdaho]

9. This is all well and good

But I could go down to the pharmacy in my local supermarket today and sweet talk my way into a third Moderna shot. In fact, I may be the only person in my extended family that hasn’t done that yet.

[deurbano]

12. Is that a bad idea? What's the situation now? Is there still a problem with vaccines expiring?

(So might as well use them...?) Or are we experiencing scarcity again? (Since vaccinating has picked up speed lately.) Or do you feel the evidence doesn't justify it yet?

When did your extended family members start doing this? I haven't heard of anyone personally, even though we are in a highly vaccinated area... but maybe they just aren't broadcasting it.

[BlueIdaho]

18. Well, for me - I think it's premature

For me, since I had the Moderna vaccine. I believe they are still debating the dosage of a “booster.” So, I’m willing to wait for an expert opinion. In my area, the local rednecks are refusing vaccines on purely political grounds so while I don’t know for a fact, I suspect there are vaccines expiring unused. As for family, I’m not about to betray their confidences but I do know it’s being done.

I guess my point is - people are deciding to “boost” their immunity with or without the experts final word and the system that was rolled out prioritizes easy access over control. YMMV.

[Steelrolled]

22. People are doing it by lying about being immunocompromised

No proof is required. I have been disappointed in some people who are hypercritical of others gaming the system, and then doing the same thing themselves. More people than I thought are willing to lie - the common thread is that everyone has some excuse to justify it.

[Retired Engineer Bob]

13. Husband an I are doing a road trip

From Indianapolis to Maine, leaving September 21st. We both had Pfizer, 2nd shot was in early April. Was kind of hoping we could get the booster a week or more in advance.

I should call my doctor, we are both HIV positive. Does that allow us to get the booster now?

[LisaL]

15. If you are HIV positive,

boosters are already allowed for immunocompromised. Immunocompromised should be able to go to a pharmacy and get a booster right now.

"Who Needs an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine?
Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:

Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
Advanced or untreated HIV infection
Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them."


https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html

[Retired Engineer Bob]

17. I've seen pretty much the same thing

Advanced or untreated HIV infection

Technically, neither of us is untreated. Our last tests came back virus undetectable, T-cell counts 700+.

Should we just go to the pharmacy where we went for the original 2 shots and ask for the booster?

[LisaL]

19. When I went into the pharmacy to get my booster, I was asked what condition I had.

My condition is on cdc list. But presenting documentation of the condition isn't required.

[OverBurn]

23. My Dad just got his 3rd Moderna shot (Booster) he's receiving chemo for liver cancer at VA.

He was one of the 1st to get the shot when they came out. I think it was in January.