J&J’s COVID booster shot rapidly multiplies antibodies, company says

Johnson & Johnson explained in a statement that the booster shot of the COVID vaccine when taken after either two or six months ramped up the protection given by the vaccine against COVID-19. However, the results in such cases are yet to be verified by experts.

A booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will provide a stronger immune response months after an individual is administered with the first dose, according to media reports citing statements from the pharmaceutical giant.

The company reported that the two-dose approach showed an effectiveness rate of 75% globally at preventing severe cases of COVID-19. A rate of 95% was observed while calculating the effectiveness of the booster dose in the United States.

According to reports from Associated Press, the difference between the studies was seen due to multiple variants of COVID-19 around the world.

Johnson & Johnson said in the statement that a booster shot given 6 months after the first one showed a 12-fold increase in the number of antibodies present in the body of the recipient.

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On the other hand, the antibody count was four to six times higher when the booster shot was given after two months, according to Associated Press reports.

Johnson & Johnson’s chief scientific officer Dr Paul Stoffels, said that while the single-dose vaccine remains strongly effective, “a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly”, AP reported.

The company previously published data showing its one-shot dose provided protection for up to eight months after immunisation. It also pointed to recent real-world data showing 79% protection against coronavirus infection and 81% protection against COVID-19 hospitalization in the United States even as the extra-contagious delta variant began spreading.

Multiple countries around the world have considered initiating booster shots of COVID vaccines as the Delta variant of the virus continues to spread.