The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Wednesday gave its approval for Americans to get booster shots that are different from the COVID vaccine they initially received.
Why it matters: The recommendation from the FDA, which also authorized booster shots for people who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines on Wednesday, paves the way for an expansion of booster shots.
Details: Moderna boosters may be given six months after completing the two-dose series while J&J boosters may be given two months after the initial jab, the FDA said in a statement.
- The Moderna booster is half of the dose that is administered for a primary series dose.
- The FDA recommends the Moderna booster for anyone 65 and older or those over 18 with a higher risk of severe COVID or exposure to the virus.
- The J&J booster is recommended for anyone over the age of 18.
Worth noting: People who received a shot of J&J's vaccine have a stronger neutralizing antibody response if they receive an mRNA shot instead of a second J&J one, according to NIH data presented to a key FDA advisory committee.
The big picture: Since most Americans aren't yet eligible, only 4.6% of the U.S. population has received a booster shot, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, nearly 12% of people 65 and older have received a booster....
- Some individuals will undoubtedly benefit from getting a booster shot, but experts say that the most important goal for the U.S. right now should be convincing vaccine holdouts to get their initial round of shots,