A COVID-19 booster shot is cleared for certain Americans, but there are still some unknowns

Key Highlights :

1. The FDA has cleared another COVID-19 booster dose for older adults and people with weak immune systems so they can shore up protection this spring.

2. For most people, if it's their first-ever vaccine, just one combo dose will be enough.

3. Anyone who's gotten their original vaccinations but hasn't yet had an omicron-targeted booster can still get one - but the agency will decide over the summer if younger, healthy people will eventually be offered a second bivalent booster.

4. COVID-19 vaccines have saved millions of lives.

5. While protection against mild infections is short-lived, booster doses continue to do a good job fighting severe disease and death even as more contagious variants have popped up.

     At this stage of the pandemic, data supports simplifying the use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, FDA vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said.

     "We have data that supports simplifying the use of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines," Dr. Marks said during a recent teleconference. "We don't have data that supports delaying use."

     The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are both live, oral vaccines that protect against pandemic H1N1. They are licensed for use in the United States and are available as over-the-counter medications.

     The vaccines are approved for use in adults 18 years or older and children 6 months to 18 years old. The vaccines are not approved for use in pregnant women or children younger than 6 months old.

     Dr. Marks said that the vaccines are "highly effective" and "offer very good protection."

     The vaccines are available in the United States through the National Vaccine Program (NVP) and through the private sector. The vaccines are also available in other countries through the NVP.

     Dr. Marks said that the vaccine supply is "adequate" and that the vaccine manufacturers are "working hard to meet the demand."

     The FDA is working with manufacturers to make the vaccines more available to the public. The FDA is also working with state and local health departments to help them distribute the vaccines.

     Dr. Marks said that the FDA is "monitoring the situation" and that the agency is "ready to act if needed."

     The FDA is also working with other agencies to help prevent the spread of the pandemic. The FDA is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help prevent the spread of the pandemic. The FDA is also working with the Department of Homeland Security to help prevent the spread of the pandemic.

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