Boosters On Horizon For Fully Vaccinated MA Adults

All vaccinated adults in Massachusetts will soon get the opportunity for a booster shot of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant emergency use authorization for the booster shot as early as Thursday. That would open the door for millions of fully vaccinated Americans 18 and over to get another shot.

Pfizer received authorization in September to provide booster shots to people 65 and older and those 18 or older with an elevated risk of serious illness.

The news comes as concerns grow about the waning efficacy of the initial round of COVID-19 vaccines. While the vaccines are still holding up remarkably well against serious illness and death, breakthrough cases — infections among those fully vaccinated — have been on the rise.

Last week more than 5,300 breakthrough cases were reported in Massachusetts. Breakthrough cases have accounted for roughly half of the new cases of all new COVID-19 cases the past two weeks.

The Department of Public Health said there have been 64,120 breakthrough cases reported overall, still just over 1 percent of all fully vaccinated individuals in Massachusetts.

More than 4.8 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated, a number that will be increasing due to the recent approval of vaccinations for children aged 5-11.