CINCINNATI — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could approve an extra COVID-19 vaccine dose for millions of fully vaccinated adults before the weekend.
Ohio Department of Health Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said Thursday morning he will wait for that guidance before expanding eligibility in Ohio.
Federal guidance recommends third doses for those 65 and older, immune-compromised individuals and frontline workers.
However, some states decided to go beyond that and expand booster eligibility to all adults. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made the decision to do that Wednesday. Their goal is to stave off a spike in cases as we approach the holiday season.
While Ohio said it would wait on federal recommendations, Vanderhoff said COVID-19 cases are on the rise in the state. He said Thursday that ICU admissions have increased 15 percent this month.
Still, Vanderhoff said, “We see no reason to jump the gun.”
He said he does agree that the FDA and CDC should consider consistent messaging when deciding eligibility.
ODH: some people are confused about who is eligible. This week, ODH expects FDA to approve boosters for adults six months after second dose. ODH says we see no reason to jump the gun, waiting on federal guidance.
— Courtney Francisco (@CFranciscoWCPO) November 18, 2021
Kentucky approved booster eligibility expansion yesterday. @wcpo
