Biden announces plan for vaccine booster shots
U.S. officials recommend another dose for adults as soon as next month
President Joe Biden outlined a plan Wednesday to administer booster shots of the coronavirus vaccine to fully vaccinated Americans amid signs that the shot’s effectiveness is declining over time.
The plan is to start administering boosters as soon as next month for adults who received their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna shots eight months earlier, he and top U.S. health officials announced. Individuals who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson shot will likely require boosters, too, but more data is needed before federal agencies will make a recommendation, officials said.
Leaders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration and other organizations said the vaccines remain highly effective at
preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death from the virus, including the highly transmissible delta variant. But new data from home and abroad show they are becoming less effective at preventing mild and moderate disease among those who got their shots late last year and early this year, they said.
The CDC and FDA gave the green light last week to providers to start administering extra shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to people with compromised immune systems. But the plan to administer boosters to the broader population still needs formal signoff from those agencies.
The extra doses are being recommended for both populations for different reasons, on different timelines, and according to slightly different rules. Below, we break it all down.
What is a booster shot and who can get one?
A booster shot is an additional dose of vaccine administered when the initial sufficient immune response to a vaccine series is likely to have waned over time. It’s not uncommon for vaccine strength to decline over time, which is why boosters are sometimes recommended to help maintain the protection they afford.
As of Aug. 18, boosters had not been authorized for anyone in the U.S., though a plan is in place to start rolling them out next month once the White House receives formal CDC and FDA signoff.
Weren’t immunocompromised people just told they could get an extra dose?
Yes, but vaccine experts say these are not technically “boosters” because an immunocompromised person’s immune system may have never developed a sufficient immune response in the first place. Rather, the extra shot is intended to deliver protection that should have been afforded with the first series.
The recommendation is coming now as small studies show fully vaccinated immunocompromised people are accounting for a large proportion of hospitalized breakthrough infections.
Which immunocompromised people are eligible?
Additional doses are recommended for adults who are moderately or severely immunocompromised due to a medical condition or immunosuppressive medications or treatments they may be receiving.
Immunocompromised people should speak to their health care provider first about whether to get an additional dose. If taken, a third dose should be administered no sooner than 28 days after the patient’s final dose of the primary vaccine series and completed at least two weeks before the initiation or resumption of immunosuppressive therapies.
What proof is for immunocompromised?
None. However, New York state is requiring anyone seeking an additional dose to sign an attestation form certifying under penalty of law that they are eligible. This is to prevent additional barriers to vaccination for this vulnerable population, according to guidance the state Department of Health issued this week.
Can I get any shot or do I have to stick with the kind I already got?
New York state guidance says you should try to stick with the same kind you already got (Pfizer with Pfizer, etc.) but if that’s not possible, a different vaccine may be administered. However, these rules apply to Moderna and Pfizer recipients only. The FDA has not authorized extra doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Where can I get the additional shot?
Several local counties have already announced that they will be offering additional doses to immunocompromised individuals at upcoming vaccine clinics. But confusion persists for some about which providers offer which vaccine. People are advised to call ahead to confirm a provider has the recommended vaccine type and is administering extra doses.
When will everyone else be eligible for a booster?
The White House announced this week that it is recommending booster shots for anyone who completed their initial vaccine series eight months ago. This would put health care workers and long-term care facility residents at the top of the list. Extra doses for this population could be administered as soon as the week of Sept. 20, officials said.