89: The unanswered vaccine questions you should be tracking

Radio Advisory

This podcast was recorded on September 16, 2021.

The Covid-19 landscape is constantly shifting, including the status of vaccination, and it can all be a lot to keep track of. In this episode, host Rachel Woods sits down with Advisory Board's Pam Divack and Regina Lohr to talk about some of the questions regarding Covid-19 vaccines that still need to be answered—including mandates, outstanding approvals, dosing, and how to balance a national vs. global vaccination effort.

On Friday September 17, FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee recommended offering Pfizer booster shots for people ages 65 and older and for "high risk" individuals over the age of 16. It also voted against recommending boosters for all eligible adults, citing lack of more robust data on the younger age groups. This recommendation is not binding, and an official FDA decision is still to come.

On Monday, September 20, Pfizer released new data showing lower doses of its Covid-19 vaccine are safe and shows 'robust' antibody response for 5- to 11-year-olds, without any serious safety issues. Pfizer expects to file for EUA soon, and experts say the shot may be authorized for kids by Halloween.

Links:

• FDA panel recommends booster shots for some adults—but not all
• What Pfizer's clinical trial revealed about its Covid-19 vaccine in young children
• Are you ready for booster shots? Start thinking about these 6 factors now
• To retain staff, organizations need to invest in well-being beyond the workplace

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