The Delta variant of COVID-19 has been running rampant across the U.S., especially in communities that are largely unvaccinated. That prompted the U.S. government to green light booster shots for most Americans. While that effort will begin next month, there’s a group of vaccinated people who still aren’t sure when they will get a booster.
A booster shot has been recommended at the eight month mark post second dose for anyone who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Those who received the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine will have to wait a little longer.
Health and Human Services officials say they are still weighing information and data from studies on the vaccine, as well as the timeline for a booster shot. More than 14,000,000 Americans received the J&J shot.
“Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout,” public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. “For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.”
However, the delay is largely due to not having enough data. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine was not distributed in the U.S. until March 2021, while Pfizer and Moderna were distributed months earlier.
“For those who got the J&J vaccine: We do expect that boosters will be needed in the future and we are expecting more data in the coming weeks that will help us make recommendations for people who got J&J,” said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in a tweet.
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