CDC panel endorses Moderna, Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine booster shots

#Boostershots #CDC #covid19

The CDC vote for booster shots was unanimous
FDA also granted the same apporval earlier this week
The final call will be taken CDC director Rochelle Walensky

Written By:Aman

Updated: October 21 2021 12:00:59 PM ET Washington D.C., DC, USA

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson were backed unanimously by an expert panel of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, paving the way for an expanded rollout in the country.

The advisory panel also said that individuals will have the option to choose from a variety of available COVID-19 vaccines in the country.

Certain people who received Pfizer vaccinations months ago already are eligible for a booster and now advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say certain Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients should qualify, too.

And in a bigger change, the panel opened the option of “mixing and matching” that would allow a different vaccine for the extra dose than the kind people first received, according to reports from Associated Press.

Dr Matthew Daley, who serves as an advisor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “For most individuals, in most circumstances, death from COVID-19 is vaccine-preventable.”

Also Read: Anthony Fauci says J&J booster recommendation is good news for recipients

A similar green signal was given to the booster shots of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson earlier this week by the United States Food and Drug Administration. However, the final call is in the hands of Dr Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Thursday’s meeting promised tough decisions, just like the panel faced with Pfizer’s boosters. Ultimately those boosters were recommended for everyone 65 and older, nursing home residents, and younger adults at increased risk of infection because of health problems, jobs or living conditions. According to reports from Associated Press, that includes health care workers, teachers and people in jails or homeless shelters.

The vast majority of the nearly 190 million Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have received the Pfizer or Moderna options, while Johnson & Johnson recipients, who were just administered with one shot, account for only about 15 million.