New York Times: Unwilling to Wait for Approval, Some Healthy Americans Seek Booster Shots

Even though tens of millions of Americans continue to decline even the first COVID-19 vaccine every single day, a small but growing number have already sought out additional shots despite the Food and Drug Administration lack of approval. It still remains unclear who exactly needs one and what does the appropriate timeline for receiving a booster shot look like? Since mid-August, approximately 1.8 million Americans have received booster shots and some of the recipients remain unknown. Lack of trust in the government has prompted many Americans to take matters in their own hands. The Maryland Department of Health decided to take action ahead of the F.D.A., issuing an order last week permitting immediate boosters for all residents 65 and older who live in group settings like nursing homes. Strained communication with the public with regards to COVID-19 vaccine boosters has prompted people to rely on resources elsewhere like the recent announcement made by Israel’s Ministry of Health in July, which claimed that the effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine against symptomatic infection — though not against serious illness — waned over time. Read the full article here