Buzz
In the latest development of the booster vaccine story, the FDA’s advisory panel has voted to recognize Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots as both safe and effective. This paves the way for potential approval, though several unanswered questions remain.
As a reminder, Pfizer boosters are already approved and recommended for those over 65 or anyone in high-risk categories.
The Moderna and J&J boosters cleared their first major hurdle this week with the FDA advisory panel’s vote. Next, the FDA will likely revise the emergency use authorizations for these vaccines to include boosters, followed by the CDC's decision on who and when should receive them, guided by their own advisory panel.
There's still no official confirmation on whether people will be allowed to mix and match different vaccine brands. The authorization for Pfizer was specific to Pfizer boosters for those who received the Pfizer vaccine originally. However, a recent study by the National Institutes of Health examined the effects of mixing vaccines by giving participants who had initially received one of the three available vaccines a booster from another brand (thus covering nine different combinations). The data is available as a preprint here.
The study revealed that in some instances, receiving a different booster might be more effective than staying with the same brand. For example, individuals who initially received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine appeared to show a stronger immune response when given a Moderna booster instead of a J&J booster.
However, the data has not yet been peer-reviewed, and any guidance will depend on experts' assessment of the finer points of the study. Some concerns include: small sample sizes, the study's focus on antibodies rather than other, more difficult-to-assess immune response components, and the fact that the Moderna booster used in the study differed in dose from the one that was approved.
So, if you received a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson shot, stay tuned for further updates in the coming weeks about whether you'll need a booster and which one would be recommended.
