WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. health officials announced Wednesday that booster shots will soon be available to Americans who have received the COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.
Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies said they’ve developed a plan to offer third doses of Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines starting on Sept. 20. Eligible Americans will be able to receive a booster shot eight months after their second dose.
“At that time, the individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including many health care providers, nursing home residents, and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster,” officials said.
These booster shots will be administered because the immunity provided by vaccines wanes over time.
However, if you received a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, you may be wondering if and when you’ll need another shot.
The nearly 14 million Americans who got a J&J shot may even feel left out and frustrated after Wednesday’s announcement, but officials say they’re looking into additional doses for those people as well.
Officials say they anticipate booster shots will likely also be needed for people who received the J&J vaccines.
Since people didn’t begin receiving J&J vaccines until March, there isn’t as much of a rush for booster shots to be administered compared to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which began to be distributed in December.
Officials say they expect more data on the J&J vaccines in the next few weeks.
“With those data in hand, we will keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots as well,” officials said.
A spokesperson for Janssen, the company that makes the J&J vaccine, told the Association of American Medical Colleges that interim results of a two-dose regimen trial are expected to be released later this summer.
That spokesperson added that those who received a J&J vaccine and are wanting another shot should wait until there is more safety and efficacy data available on the subject.