The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved booster shots for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday.
The announcement means all three vaccines available in the U.S. have passed FDA approval. The agency authorized booster shots for the Pfizer vaccine for seniors and at-risk individuals back in September.
The FDA’s announcement marks a big step towards President Joe Biden’s booster push – a campaign that was on rocky ground in August after he preemptively announced that booster shots would be widely available in September, before the FDA issued any wide approval for boosters.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) advisory committee will meet later this week to discuss the FDA’s approval and formulate its recommendations, according to Fortune. Until this step is completed, the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters won’t be available for Americans.
“The available data suggest waning immunity in some populations who are fully vaccinated,” Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement according to NPR. “The availability of these authorized boosters is important for continued protection against COVID-19 disease.”
SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 01: Safeway pharmacist Ashley McGee fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccination at a vaccination booster shot clinic on October 01, 2021 in San Rafael, California.(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The FDA noted that the Moderna shot, which it authorized for seniors and at-risk individuals, should be taken six months after the last shot. The Moderna booster shot will be half its original dose, according to Fortune. For those wanting the Johnson & Johnson booster, the FDA recommended it be taken two months after the first shot, Fortune added. (RELATED: Dr. Anthony Fauci Says COVID Will Be Under Control By Spring 2022 And That It’s Time For Vaccine Mandates)
The FDA also announced that it is okay to mix boosters, meaning individuals can be fully vaccinated with one brand and receive another brand for the booster shot. The announcement coincides with the Biden administration’s new plan to prepare for being able to vaccinate children ages 5-11, which it announced Wednesday.
“The Administration has procured enough vaccine to support vaccination for the country’s 28 million children ages 5-11 years old. If authorized by the FDA and recommended by the CDC, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5-11 year olds will be a dose and formula specifically for this age group,” the White House wrote in a fact sheet Wednesday morning.