COVID-19 hospitalizations are rising among people who are fully vaccinated, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease.
Cases in some states in the West, Midwest and Northeast are on the rise, forcing hospitals and state and local leaders to take action.
More than 31 million Americans have already received a dose beyond their original vaccination, CDC data shows.
“What we’re starting to see now is an uptick in hospitalizations among people who’ve been vaccinated but not boosted,” Fauci said. “It’s a significant proportion, but not the majority by any means.”
In a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing on Wednesday, Fauci stressed the importance of vaccines and highlighted their efficacy.
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At the same panel, Walensky gave similar remarks, explaining that the agency is “seeing an increase in emergency department visits among adults age 65 and older, which are now again higher than they are for younger age groups.”
Residents of long-term care facilities and adults over age 65 were among the first eligible for vaccination.
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently evaluating data on the authorization of booster doses for all people over age 18. As we’ve done before, CDC will quickly review the safety and effectiveness data and make recommendations as soon as we hear from the FDA,” she said.
All of this comes amidst fears about winter outbreaks fueled by coronavirus variants and holiday travel.
The FDA is expected to authorize booster doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for all adults before an influential U.S. advisory panel meets on Friday. The action would reportedly expand the number of eligible Americans by tens of millions.
Scientists had initially questioned whether booster shots were necessary for all Americans, and while some cities and states already allow all adults to get boosters of the Pfizer vaccine, it is not yet official U.S. policy.
Boosters are currently recommended for people who initially received their second Pfizer or Moderna shots at least six months ago if they’re 65 or older or are at high risk of COVID-19 because of health problems or their job or living conditions. Boosters are also recommended for people who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.