A United States health official has said that the U.S. is evaluating the need for a third booster shot against COVID-19 among individuals who have been vaccinated, but more data is needed to know if the booster shots could increase the risk of serious side effects.

The official stated that the second shot for the two dose COVID-19 vaccines was found to be tied to higher rates of side effects, which points that a third dose could possibly be associated with greater risks. Jay Butler, deputy director at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that they would like to know if a third dose may be linked to any greater risk of side effects, especially some of the more severe, though rare, ones. While the government has not decided yet on whether to give booster shots or not, a greater potential need for the boosters seems to be there for the elderly and other people having a high risk for severe infection… (Reuters, July 13, 2021)