The Food and Drug Administration is getting close to a decision on whether to authorize a second round of the updated booster that targets omicron — the dominant variant — for the elderly and others at high risk of severe disease, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. A decision could come within weeks, the people told the paper. For now, officials are looking at people aged 65 and older or those with weakened immune systems. Some people in those groups have been asking their doctors for a second booster, although scientists have no data to prove one is needed. As it stands, the first round of the booster has had low uptake. Just 54.3 million people living in the U.S., or 16.4% of the overall population, have had a booster, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.