Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said she stands by her decision to overrule her agency's independent advisory panel by adding a recommendation for people considered high risk due to where they work to get a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
"This scientific process goes from an advisory committee at the FDA, to the authorization of the FDA, to an advisory committee at the CDC and then recommendations from the CDC. It's a very transparent, scientific, public process and I listened intently," Walensky told ABC News' Whit Johnson in an interview Monday on "Good Morning America."
"I fully endorsed the recommendations from the CDC advisory committee for boosters for those over the age of 65, as well as for those with underlying conditions," she continued. "And then I also endorsed -- in full alignment with the FDA and many people at the CDC -- for boosters for people with high risk exposures, like those who work in occupational settings or in group settings or live in group settings, and I felt after listening to all of the science that that was actually the best move for public health."
On Thursday night, the panel voted unanimously to recommend Pfizer boosters for seniors and other medically vulnerable Americans, six months after their second dose. People younger than 49, however, should only get a third dose if the benefits outweigh the risks, the panel said -- a personal consideration to discuss with their doctor. Some panelists said that without further data, they weren't comfortable with automatically including younger people because of their jobs.
CDC director discusses approval of booster shots
Dr. Rochelle Walensky talks about her decision to overrule her agency's independent advisory panel by adding a recommendation for a third dose for people considered high risk due to where they work.
