Pfizer and U.S. health officials will discuss COVID boosters on Monday-company provided by Reuters

Washington (Reuters)-COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Pfizer The company said on Sunday that the company (NYSE:) will meet with federal health officials as early as Monday to discuss whether a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine is needed in preparation for seeking authorization.

A few days ago, the drug maker and its partner BioNTech SE (Nasdaq:) announced plans to seek approval from US and European regulators for its third dose of COVID-19 injection, because variants and data show an increased risk of infection Six months after the initial vaccination.

This push prompted the US Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond quickly, saying that Americans do not need boosters now.

A Pfizer spokesperson said that on Monday, Pfizer plans to meet with FDA representatives. The Washington Post reported the meeting first.

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser and head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the heads of the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were also invited to the briefing. The briefing may Will move to another day, according to a report in the Post.

Fauci said in several television interviews on Sunday that U.S. health officials did not deny that boosters might be needed in the future—especially in the case of breakthrough infections among vaccinated people—but any formal advice is required. More data.

“A lot of dynamic things are happening now,” he told ABC News’ “This Week” program.

He is on CNN’s “State of Union.”

Although the FDA and CDC have issued a statement, “This does not mean that we will not very, very actively track and collect all this information to see if and when we may need it. If and when we need it, we will have everything in place. Do it.”

US health officials are still trying to get people in some areas to receive initial vaccination, because the highly contagious Delta variant has become the main strain in the United States, and COVID-19 cases are mainly rising among unvaccinated people.

European officials also said that the vaccine now seems to have a protective effect on the variants. Canada also said it is monitoring variants and boosters that may be needed.

Although some scientists also question the need for enhanced injections, others say they may be beneficial to the elderly and other disadvantaged groups, although it is not clear when they will be needed.

Some public health experts also expressed concern that, while other countries are still struggling to cope with initial vaccination, authorization to strengthen vaccines in wealthy developed countries will further exacerbate vaccine inequality.