By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. —
NBC News
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could authorize a second COVID-19 vaccine booster as early as next week, two people with knowledge of the plan told NBC News.
The move comes amid early signs that the United States could soon experience another wave of COVID, as the omicron subvariant, known as BA.2, spreads across Europe and other parts of the world.
Some countries, including the UK, Chile, Israel and Sweden, have already approved a fourth vaccine for certain vulnerable populations.
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Earlier this month, Moderna applied to the FDA for authorization for a fourth COVID-19 vaccine for all adults, after Pfizer-BioNTech asked for the go-ahead for a second booster aimed at people over 65.
Both companies said the protection from the first booster dose weakened after a few months.
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Experts still disagree on whether an additional dose of the vaccine is necessary for everyone, but many agree that a fourth dose will eventually be needed for certain groups, such as older adults.
A few days ago, FDA officials decided to give Americans over the age of 65 the option of receiving a second booster of the vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna.
But recently there have been small increases in cases in parts of the northeastern part of the country, so they are now considering expanding eligibility to more people, the sources consulted by NBC News said.
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The New York Times, the first to report on the move, noted Friday night that the Biden Administration planned to offer a second booster to Americans age 50 and older.
The FDA did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.
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In the image, patients in an isolation center in San Tin, Hong Kong, this Saturday, March 26. Kin Cheung / AP
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are not expected to seek input from their advisory committees, known as the Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Related Biologics and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, explained a of the sources.
Once the FDA authorizes the fourth injection, the CDC is expected to step in to decide the way forward.
The FDA has scheduled a vaccine advisory meeting for April 6, but there will be no vote at the meeting;
The discussion is expected to revolve around a variant-specific COVID-19 vaccine, one of the sources said.
