The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised a booster dose of the Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE)/BioNTech (Nasdaq:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccine for those aged 65 and older, all people at high risk of severe disease, and others who are regularly exposed to the virus, Reuters news agency reported on Thursday.

FDA Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock stated that this change to the vaccine's emergency use authorisation will allow boosters for groups such as health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers and those in homeless shelters or prisons.

An outside FDA panel of advisers voted against Pfizer's proposition that boosters were needed by everyone but said that evidence showed they were helpful to older people and those at high risk.