COVID-19 booster shots will be available starting September 20

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COVID-19 booster shots for all Americans will be available beginning the week of September 20, starting eight months after an individual's second dose, according to health officials in the Biden Administration. 

This is for those who received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

The availability of the booster is subject to the Food and Drug Administration conducting an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the two-dose vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. It also needs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to issue booster dose recommendations based on a thorough review of the evidence, according to the joint statement from Department of Health and Human Services officials and medical experts.

"We have developed a plan to begin offering these booster shots this fall subject to FDA conducting an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issuing booster dose recommendations based on a thorough review of the evidence," they said. 

"We also anticipate booster shots will likely be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine," health officials said. "Administration of the J&J vaccine did not begin in the U.S. until March 2021, and we expect more data on J&J 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."

WHY THIS MATTERS

The data makes clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination, according to the statement from officials from the Department of Health and Human Services and other medical experts. 

"In association with the dominance of the Delta variant, we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease," they said. 

Starting in the fall, individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccine rollout, including many healthcare providers, nursing home residents, and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster. 

"We would also begin efforts to deliver booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities at that time, given the distribution of vaccines to this population early in the vaccine rollout and the continued increased risk that COVID-19 poses to them," health officials said.

Based on the latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead for individuals given the booster, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout, officials said.

"For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability," they said.

THE LARGER TREND

Getting vaccinated is the best protection.

"We also want to emphasize the ongoing urgency of vaccinating the unvaccinated in the U.S. and around the world. Nearly all the cases of severe disease, hospitalization, and death continue to occur among those not yet vaccinated at all. We will continue to ramp up efforts to increase vaccinations here at home and to ensure people have accurate information about vaccines from trusted sources. We will also continue to expand our efforts to increase the supply of vaccines for other countries, building further on the more than 600 million doses we have already committed to donate globally," they said.

Public health and medical experts who released the statement include Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration; Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health; Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden and Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Rachel Levine, Assistant Secretary for Health; Dr. David Kessler, chief science officer for the COVID-19 Response; and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, chair of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

"The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be remarkably effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. Recognizing that many vaccines are associated with a reduction in protection over time, and acknowledging that additional vaccine doses could be needed to provide long lasting protection, we have been analyzing the scientific data closely from the United States and around the world to understand how long this protection will last and how we might maximize this protection," they said.

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: susan.morse@himssmedia.com