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The Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 booster shot for all adults as early as this week, sources knowledge of the federal agency's plans confirmed to the New York Times on Tuesday (November 16).
The FDA's decision is expected to be announced as early as Thursday (November 18), a source told NBC News.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is scheduled to meet on Friday (November 19) to discuss booster shots, which comes just over a week after Pfizer requested emergency authorization for its booster shot on November 9.
The pharmaceutical company said a Phase 3 clinical trial in which 10,000 participants were given the third dose of its vaccine showed safe and effective results.
The FDA's reported decision comes as the U.S. continues to see a rise in COVID-19 cases with the winter season approaching.
Several states, including Arkansas, California, Colorado and New Mexico, as well as New York City, have already allowed booster shots for all adults prior to the FDA's official signoff, which includes Moderna's vaccine.
Pfizer's booster shot is already authorized for U.S. adults age 65 and older, individuals living in long-term care facilities or people between the ages of 18 and 64 who work at high-risk COVID jobs or have underlying medical conditions.
The booster shot is given six months after an individual receives the two-dose vaccination series.