An advisory committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on Friday to reject a proposal to inject Pfizer Inc into the public./ BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Enhancement Plan, saying they need more data.
However, the committee can still clear the way for older people to be vaccinated with enhanced needles. Scientists continued to debate the need for a third dose of vaccine for the elderly after the initial vote, leaving the possibility for other votes.
Pfizer Inc's share price fell more than 2 per cent after the news, hitting a new low of $43.31.
The non-binding decision by the Advisory Committee on FDA Vaccines and related Biological products (VRBPAC) came as the Biden administration said it hoped to start providing COVID-19 vaccine enhancements to the American public as early as next week and was awaiting approval from health regulators. FDA's final decision is likely to be made within hours. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has scheduled a two-day meeting next week to discuss plans to distribute enhanced needles in the United States.