To Booster or Not: Scientists and Regulators Debate

President Biden’s planned rollout of additional COVID-19 vaccine doses is set to begin next week, but questions remain about who should get them.

Written byJef Akst

| 7 min read

Save for Later

A healthcare worker holds up three syringes with clear medicine

Listen with Speechify

0:00

7:00

ABOVE: © ISTOCK.COM, KTSTOCK

Update (March 8): The World Health Organization (WHO) today endorsed the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccine boosters, emphasizing that vaccination is particularly important for high-risk groups.

Update (December 9): The WHO today recommended that immunocompromised people and those who received an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine such as those made by Sinovac Biotech, Sinopharm, and Bharat Biotech should receive a booster, Reuters reports.

Update (November 19): Earlier today, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized COVID-19 booster shots from both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for everyone 18 years and older, multiple media outlets report. This afternoon, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel voted unanimously to open up booster eligibility to all adults, and to recommend that people aged 50 years and older get a booster, according to CNBC.

Update (October 15): An FDA advisory panel voted unanimously to support the use of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots from ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!

Join for free today

Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
View Full Profile