Silver Spring, MD – The United States is fortunate to have highly effective vaccines that are widely available for those aged 12 and up. People who are fully vaccinated are protected from severe disease and death, including from the variants currently circulating in the country such as Delta.
People who are not vaccinated remain at risk.
Virtually all COVID-19 Coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths are among those who are unvaccinated.
We encourage Americans who have not yet been vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their community.
Americans who have been fully vaccinated do not need a booster shot at this time. FDA, CDC, and NIH are engaged in a science-based, rigorous process to consider whether or when a booster might be necessary. This process takes into account laboratory data, clinical trial data, and cohort data – which can include data from specific pharmaceutical companies, but does not rely on those data exclusively.
We continue to review any new data as it becomes available and will keep the public informed.
We are prepared for booster doses if and when the science demonstrates that they are needed.
About the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines, and other biological products for human use, and medical devices.
The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
