It is expected to be a big week for COVID-19 boosters.
Millions of people who got Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines
could be eligible for a booster by the end of the week.
First, the
Food and Drug Administration must give a full approval for the booster
shots. An FDA advisory panel met last week and gave the go ahead for authorization
of the booster shots. Now, regulators are expected to follow suit, which means
the full approval may come within days.
Similarly, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention advisory committee is set to meet Wednesday and Thursday to
discuss the issues of booster shots for both Moderna and Johnson &
Johnson. Then, the CDC director must sign off on the decision.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster is
being recommended for those 18 and older who received the first dose.
Meanwhile, the Moderna vaccine booster is recommended for those 65 and older and those
who are immunocompromised.
The broader age range for Johnson & Johnson is because the
first dose was found to be 74% effective. A second dose brings it up to
94%.
If a decision is made by both panels in favor
of the boosters, they may be available for people to receive by the end of the
week.