An adviser to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned young people against getting the latest version of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) booster doses.

Dr. Paul Offit, a member of the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), expressed doubts over the COVID-19 bivalent booster. The regulator reportedly approved the updated version of the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 without conducting human clinical trials.

“When you’re asking people to get a vaccine, I think there has to be clear evidence of benefit,” he said during an interview. “Because if you don’t have that, then it’s not fair to ask people to take a risk, no matter how small.”

“A healthy young person is unlikely to benefit from the extra dose,” Offit remarked, pertaining to the boosters that specifically target the B11529 omicron strain and its BA4 and BA5 sub-variants.

He reiterated his opposition to the bivalent booster in a Sept 21 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, writing that he voted against authorizing the updated vaccine during a VRBPAC meeting.

According to Offit, the more contagious omicron rendered even the fully vaccinated at risk of mild illness. In turn, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that a third and fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose reduced hospitalizations.

“But not everyone benefited. Those who did fell into three groups: the elderly, people with serious health problems and people who were immunocompromised,” he pointed out. “It would be wise to focus on those at risk rather than the young and healthy.”