The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted unanimously late Friday, October 15, that available data supported the safety and effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use authorization as a booster dose in individuals aged 18 and older at least two months after an initial single dose, reported in a release by the American Hospital Association.
The committee also discussed early data from a study sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases evaluating the immunogenicity of each of the three authorized COVID-19 vaccines following immunization with the same or a different booster dose.
The committee yesterday voted unanimously to recommend boosters for previous Moderna recipients age 65 and older, plus individuals age 18-64 if they are at high risk of severe COVID-19 or whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure puts them at high risk of serious complications, including severe COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will consider the recommendations next week. FDA last month amended Pfizer’s emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine to allow for an additional, booster dose for certain individuals.
