Coronavirus

FDA Poised to OK Third Vaccine Dose for Immunocompromised People

The move would be the first authorization of an additional dose in the U.S.

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The Food and Drug Administration is poised to amend the emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines Thursday to allow people with compromised immune systems to get a third dose, two sources familiar with the plans.

The move would come after a panel of advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met in July and urged action on extra doses for immunocompromised adults.

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Doctors say it is increasingly clear that many such patients are still vulnerable to Covid-19 following vaccination because they may not mount an effective immune response to the shots.

An estimated 2.7 percent of adults in the United States are immune-compromised, according to the CDC. It is unclear which groups would be covered under the expected FDA action. Immune-compromised patients include organ transplant recipients, people undergoing cancer treatment and people with HIV, among others.

Read the full story here on NBCNews.com

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