Citing waning effectiveness of COVID vaccine & delta variant, federal health officials recommend booster dose for all Americans
Federal health officials say a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot will be needed to maximize protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection and prolong the vaccine’s durability.
Citing a trio of three studies released by the Centers for disease Control and Prevention, including one completed by the New York State Department of Health, the officials in a statement released yesterday said the effectiveness of the vaccine is decreasing over time.
While the vaccine currently remains effective against severe disease, the officials said, “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.”
The Biden administration is recommending booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20 and starting eight months after an individual’s second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Officials said they anticipate booster shots will likely be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as well and a recommendation will be forthcoming after an assessment of data on recipients of the J&J vaccine is completed. The J&J vaccine was not distributed in the U.S. until March and more data on the J&J recipients is expected in the next few weeks, the officials said.
The third vaccine is not yet authorized by the Food and Drug Administration, but authorization is expected.
The joint statement was released yesterday by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, the surgeon general, the director of the National Institutes of Health, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and other federal health officials.
