FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 17, 2021
CONTACT: Chris Boyle, Director of Communications
(860) 706-9654 – christopher.boyle@ct.gov
Connecticut Department Of Public Health Issues Statement
Regarding Friday’s FDA Vaccine Advisors Vote
HARTFORD, Conn.--Today, the Food and Drug Administration’s advisory committee voted unanimously to recommend emergency use authorization of a booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine at least six months after full vaccination in people 65 and older as well as for individuals at high risk of severe COVID-19.
The advisory committee did not opine on booster shots for those whose primary vaccine series was with the Moderna or the J& J vaccine. Further booster recommendations for those vaccines are anticipated in the coming weeks.
While today’s FDA meeting is just the start of the process, the Connecticut Department of Public Health will continue to work with our federal partners, vaccine providers, and other stakeholders to be sure we are ready to provide boosters when these recommendations are finalized.
The next steps are for the FDA to offer a final recommendation (following today’s meeting of its advisory panel) and then for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to meet on Sept. 22 and 23. Pending this guidance from ACIP, we expect that the administration of booster vaccines may start as soon as Sept. 24.
However, this timeline is subject to change as more information is released. DPH looks forward to collaborating with hundreds of vaccine providers across the state on any booster roll-out. These providers include hospitals/health systems, federally qualified health centers, pharmacies, physician practices, and local health departments. DPH stresses that there is a more than adequate supply of vaccines available
.
The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be remarkably effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. It is critical that unvaccinated and partially vaccinated people get their primary series of vaccines to further reduce the risk of COVID-19 and its more severe outcomes. Nearly all the cases of severe disease, hospitalization, and death continue to occur among those not yet vaccinated at all.
Published by: Heather Trabal, MD
Heather.Trabal@ct.gov