SAFETY HARBOR, Fla. — Even at 79 and 81, Kay Kennedy and Tillie Smith do not fit the typical image of “elderly.”
The Safety Harbor couple frequently travels, attends Zumba classes, and socializes in groups.
WATCH: 'We're worried': Safety Harbor seniors anxiously await CDC’s COVID booster decision
Their age, however, puts them at higher risk for COVID, and they are eager for protection.
“We both have been waiting for the new COVID shot,” said Kay. “We’re worried. We’re 100% worried, and we just don’t like the way it’s going."
The FDA has already approved a new COVID booster for individuals 65 and older, as well as for children and adults aged 6 months to 64 years with underlying medical conditions.
Nationwide, access ultimately depends on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is expected to vote on its recommendations for the booster at a meeting on Sep 18.
The committee has faced scrutiny this year after U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. removed 17 members. Kennedy told ABC News that replacements would not be “anti-vaxxers,” but according to ABC, some of the new members have previously expressed skepticism about COVID vaccines.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson emphasized that ACIP “remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and [the Department of Health and Human Services] will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic.”
Despite reassurances, Kay and Tillie remain concerned.
“We travel. We go to Zumba all week. We go to dinners with friends. We’re in large groups,” Kay said. “If you don’t want the vaccine, don’t get the vaccine. If you want it, you have to have it available to get.”
Kay said they have seen the booster at their local pharmacy in Palm Harbor and believe they will eventually get it. They worry, however, that access could be more complicated for younger Americans.
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