Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the new White House’s Covid-19 response coordinator, said Sunday, citing “pretty compelling” new data from Israel suggesting that the fourth shot is significant. reduce infections and deaths among older people there.
Dr. Jha commented, on “Fox News Sunday,” coming after the Food and Drug Administration on March 29 authorized second booster shot Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines for people 50 years of age and older.
The FDA said the move is an effort to bolster waning immunity against severe illness as the more contagious Omicron subtype virus, known as BA.2, is emerging as a dominant version. of this virus in the United States.
When asked if Americans should get a second booster shot, Dr. Jha, who was named the Biden administration’s Covid-19 response coordinator last month, pointed out. study from Israel that indicates that the fourth shot provides strong protection, especially against severe disease, in people over 60 years of age.
“The data from Israel is quite compelling for people over 60,” he said. “When people get their second booster shot four months after their first booster, what we see is a dramatic reduction, not only in infections, but also in deaths. So I think people over 60 should get it. “
The Israeli study did not provide data on the effectiveness of a second booster shot in people younger than 60 years of age. In January, Israel authorized a fourth dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people 60 years of age and older and for other high-risk populations.
In a separate appearance on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos“Dr. Jha says second booster shot for Americans between the ages of 50 and 59” is a much closer call. “People in that age group should consult their doctor before getting a second booster shot.
“Fifty to 59 years old, you’re eligible,” he said, noting that getting a second boost depends on a person’s risk profile.
“But for me, based on the data, 60 and up, I think that makes a lot of sense,” he said. “This is something I suggested to my elderly parents and it’s something I think everyone should do.”
Dr. Jha said it remains to be seen whether BA.2 causes more severe disease than previous variants and sub-variants of the virus. Cases are on the rise, but hospitalizations “are at a pandemic low,” he said on “Meet the Press”.
“The good news is that our vaccine is doing very well against BA.2, against all the Omicron variants, especially if you’ve been boosted,” he said. “So the key here is that you have to have two initial shots, and you have to have a booster shot. That’s what’s really protecting people at the moment.”
