Though all Americans age 50 and older are now eligible to get a second booster of COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said some groups may benefit more than others from the shot.

The immunocompromised, those who live with the immunocompromised, and those at great risk for severe COVID-19, should probably consider getting a fourth dose of mRNA vaccine—a second booster—as soon as possible. But people who have had COVID-19 within the last 3 months and older—but healthy—adults who want to wait until the fall to get a booster are likely okay to take a wait-and-see approach.

"For every COVID-19 vaccine dose recommended, uptake declines," said Sarah Oliver, MD, MSPH, of the CDC during a presentation on the future of boosters in the United States. Oliver said it was important that the timing of future booster dose recommendations match the country's goals with future vaccination campaigns: Is the goal to stop all infections? Or to limit severe outcomes?

ACIP members voiced concerns about booster fatigue, and creating the impression that a vaccination program that required large swathes of the population to get boosted every 4 to 6 months would be viewed as unsuccessful. They also emphases that the primary series of vaccines, the first two doses, remained the most important in terms of preventing deaths.

No votes were cast today as ACIP members discussed these questions.

According to the CDC, 4.3 million people 50 and older have received a fourth dose. The CDC COVID Data Tracker shows that 66% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 77.4% have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 45.5% of those eligible have received their first booster dose.

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