Biden's Rushed Booster Plan Is Already Getting Messy
Setting a timeline before experts weighed in put improper pressure on scientific agencies, raised expectations and now risks creating confusion when the focus should be on first shots.
Biden got ahead of scientists in setting booster policy, and there will be consequences.
Photographer: Ting Shen/BloombergPresident Joe Biden didn't wait to get the blessing of health authorities before setting Sept. 20 as the tentative date to begin a broad booster rollout. That target is now very much in doubt, and jumping the gun may have messy consequences.
The administration announced in mid-August that it was pushing forward with a plan for all double-vaccinated adults to receive a booster shot eight months after their second dose, citing the rapid spread of the delta variant and early evidence that vaccine protection is waning. The effort depends on review from the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. But on Monday, the CDC panel cast doubt on the administration’s timeline and one-size-fits-all strategy for third shots. Then, a day later, news broke that two senior FDA officials leading vaccine reviews will leave the agency later this year, reportedly in part because of the premature booster announcement.