US FDA advisers recommend individuals, who took the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, to get the boosters after two to six months.
The COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson is one of the jabs that the United States approved amid the pandemic. It is a one-dose regimen, unlike Moderna and Pfizer’s, which has two.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the jab for American adults, age 18 and above. But, the agency said that those who completed the vaccination series are not yet eligible for a booster shot.
This may change, though, in the next few weeks as an FDA panel recently recommend an extra dose for all of the recipients. Following the announcement, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on Sunday that this should be “welcomed news,” according to the New York Post.
A two-dose COVID-19 vaccine, instead of one
Speaking on ABC’s This Week, the White House chief medical advisor stated that the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine recipients should “feel good” about the booster recommendation. He explained that this is because of what the FDA vaccine committee felt, alongside the data that they saw.
Dr. Fauci continued that the vaccine maker should have doled out a two-dose COVID-19 shot instead of one. He noted that, based on the data, “this should have been a two-dose vaccine to begin with,” adding that it is “favorable” for the eligible recipients.
The value of a single-dose regimen
The Janssen vaccine maker responded, however, that there was “value” in having a single-dose vaccine. The reason being is that it could be distributed easily, as per ABC News.
The R&D Global Head of the company told the publication that this is the “best thing” to do in a pandemic. Dr. Mathai Mammen explained that it is best to “get out there and vaccinate as much of the population as quickly as possible with one shot.”
Johnson & Johnson boosters’ approval
The recommendations emerged on Friday, following the FDA panel’s decision. CNN reported that the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted 19-0 to recommend a booster dose for all recipients of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.
The advice also adds that recipients should take the boosters two to six months after obtaining the first dose. But, as to when the administration will start, the FDA has yet to make official recommendations.
As reported, the agency will consider the panel’s decision about the Johnson & Johnson boosters. Nevertheless, the federal regulators often reportedly follow the committee’s advice.
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