Biden administration discussing whether it must scale back ambitious Covid-19 vaccine booster plan

There have been internal conversations within the Biden administration about scaling back the ambitious booster plan laid out by top federal health officials last month as the calendar nears September 20, the date when booster shots may start to be offered.

This stems from concerns that the US Food and Drug Administration may only be prepared to recommend booster shots for those who had the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, an official familiar with the discussions said. Right now, the agency doesn't have enough data on Moderna to make that recommendation, according to the official. The New York Times was first to report on the discussion. One person familiar with the matter said there was a meeting between top federal health officials and White House staff on Thursday to discuss the booster issue. In the meeting, the officials warned that more time may be needed before enough data is in to recommend boosters for all adults, the person said.