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(CNN) -
Internal discussions at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have centered on a timeline to devise a strategy on covid-19 booster vaccines to Early September, a Joe Biden administration official told CNN.
The strategy would apply to all vaccinated people.
A quicker decision is expected for those who are immunosuppressed and face a higher risk from the virus, the official said Thursday.
The United States has not yet recommended booster vaccines against Covid-19.
But Biden administration officials have repeatedly asserted that if a booster injection is recommended, the US will have the supply, the staff, and the capacity to implement it efficiently.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the fact that the strategy was scheduled for September.
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Booster vaccines under evaluation
An FDA spokeswoman told CNN in a statement that, together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, they are evaluating possible answers to questions about dosage use. of booster vaccines against covid-19.
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"The agencies are involved in a rigorous science-based process to consider if and when a boost might be necessary," FDA spokeswoman Abby Capobianco said in a statement.
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Capobianco said that "in the near future" the FDA will share information on possible options for immunosuppressed people, who face a higher risk from the virus than healthy people.
The decision to go ahead with a backup plan comes as the country continues to grapple with the most contagious Celtic variant of covid-19.
This has led to an increase in cases and hospitalizations, mainly among unvaccinated people.
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Biden's measures to encourage vaccination
The Biden administration has struggled to meet its goals of vaccinating the eligible American population against COVID-19.
And in recent weeks, the president has shifted the White House's focus to vaccinating more people, offering cash incentives, instituting a vaccination requirement for federal workers.
It also took steps to encourage other states and cities to follow in New York City's footsteps, with a vaccination requirement for certain businesses or locations.
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Meanwhile, the daily rate of vaccination against Covid-19 is the highest in almost seven weeks.
According to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as of Thursday, 49.9% of the eligible US population was fully vaccinated.
WHO's request for booster vaccines
The World Health Organization called on Wednesday to postpone booster shots until at least the end of September, to allow at least 10% of the population in each country to be vaccinated.
But despite the organization's global call, Germany, France, Israel and the United Kingdom have indicated that they will go ahead with plans to begin administering booster vaccines from September or earlier.
While he did not speak about the timing of recommending a booster shot, US Chief Health Officer Dr. Vivek Murthy suggested on Wednesday that the country is able to contribute to the global vaccination effort, without leaving of providing vaccines to Americans.
Even with possible booster doses.
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"I understand why WHO has raised this concern. They are concerned about the whole world and frankly so are we. Because we will not get out of this pandemic unless we make sure countries around the world have enough vaccines to ensure that the cases go down and stay down, "Murthy told MSNBC.
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"If there is an uncontrolled spread of the virus in another country, that means that variants can arise, that can end up here in the United States. We do not want that."
"But I don't think we necessarily have to choose between vaccinating the rest of the world and providing the vaccines, including potential boosters if needed, that our country needs," Murthy said.
Fauci's position on booster vaccines
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday that people with compromised immune systems may need additional protection after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
In that sense, he said that work is being done so that the vaccine boosters are available to the population "very soon."
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CDC vaccine advisers have met to discuss whether immunosuppressed people may need additional protection from a booster shot.
But they have yet to come up with a formal recommendation or vote on guidance.
"We are making a great effort to get the regulatory mechanism in place very soon, to give those people a boost that could raise their immunity to the level it should be at, if possible," Fauci added.
Vaccines and the delta variant
Moderna's covid-19 vaccine was 93% effective against symptomatic disease over six months.
The company expects to complete its application for full FDA approval this month, the company said Thursday.
And in July, the makers of another of the US-licensed mRNA vaccines, Pfizer / BioNTech, released data showing a six-month overall efficacy of 91%, with a possible decline toward the end of that time.
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Like the Moderna data, the Pfizer tracking data was collected before the surge related to the delta variant.
Moderna believes the delta variant will lead to more infections and boosters may be needed before winter, according to slides released ahead of the company's earnings call Thursday.
Pfizer said in an investor call last week that it intends to submit a booster for emergency use authorization consideration beginning in August.
Covid-19 vaccines