FDA, CDC on verge of recommending boosters for those with compromised immune systems
TAMPA, Fla. - U.S. approval of an additional COVID-19 booster vaccine for people with weakened immune systems is expected to come soon, according to health officials, who believe everyone will need one eventually.
Cindy Coney has had two COVID-19 vaccines, and still, antibody tests come up bare.
"The antibody test was run, and I came back as negative for antibodies," she told FOX 13 News.
That's because her lupus medication suffocated the response her immune system would have otherwise generated. For well over a year, her life has been mostly virtual.
"For us, things have not changed a lot since the time of the vaccination," said Coney.
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She's eagerly awaiting the FDA's authorization of COVID-19 booster shots for the immune-compromised -- those with cancer, organ transplants, and lupus, among others.
"We do have some people who are vaccinated and land in the hospital, but our review of the data suggests that a lot of people who land in the hospital are people who did not respond well to the vaccine," said Dr. Kami Kim of TGH and USF Health.
While Moderna says its vaccines hardly lose effectiveness, Pfizer says antibodies go down by about 6% every two months.
Pfizer released graphs showing immune responses going down between one and eight months after a second dose. But the response goes up, and stays up, a month after the third. With the highly contagious delta variant taking hold, that could be the difference for someone who is already in jeopardy.
Pfizer graph of antibodies after second dose and third dose
"We would like to do everything we can to protect those people so that is why we want to give them a third dose," said Dr. Kim.
This is all coming as doctors at TGH are offering prophylaxis treatments for those with weakened immune systems. Coney doesn't ever want it to get that far and is eagerly awaiting the FDA and CDC rulings on boosters by week's end.
"I see my doctor on Monday and will ask if I can get it at that point," Coney said. "That is our only hope until everyone else is vaccinated.
Dr. Kim says the jury is still out on how important boosters will be for those who have normal immune systems.
The biggest question may be whether stronger variants pop up.