You may soon be able to get a COVID booster shot: What this does — and doesn’t — mean
White House health officials announced Wednesday they are recommending booster COVID-19 shots for all adult Americans to maximize and prolong protection against severe disease and death.
People could get booster shots beginning the week of Sept. 20, at least eight months after receipt of their second dose.
The recommendation was based on two main pieces of evidence from the U.S. and around the world: vaccine protection against coronavirus infections decreases over time and vaccine effectiveness generally decreases when put up against the highly contagious delta variant.
Unchanged, however, is the COVID-19 vaccines’ ability to prevent hospitalization and death, even in the presence of dangerous variants.
Similar results were found across all age groups, but the nation’s booster shot plan will prioritize the most vulnerable, including health care workers and nursing home residents.
“If you wait for something bad to happen before you respond to it, you find yourself considerably behind,” White House Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said during a virtual COVID-19 briefing. “If you look at the indications we’ve had, you don’t want to find yourself behind playing catch up. Better stay ahead of [the virus] than chasing after it.”
This doesn’t mean you can rush to your local pharmacy and get a third dose now, officials said. The booster plan is still pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The reason the White House announced its recommendation ahead of the FDA and CDC decisions is to be transparent with the public and ensure states have time to plan for the mass administration of boosters, according to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. “You can’t turn on a booster effort with the flip of a switch,” he said.
Here’s what to know about the White House COVID-19 booster shot plan.
Who can get a booster shot?
White House health officials are currently recommending that only adults get a booster shot. They said they are leaving it up to the FDA to decide if it’s safe for children between 12 and 17 years old to receive a booster shot.
People with weakened immune systems can currently get their third dose.
The plan will prioritize those who are vulnerable to infection or severe COVID-19, including health care workers and nursing home residents. But it remains unclear what that prioritization will look like, given all Americans will be eligible to get a booster at the same time.
Which vaccine will be given for the booster shot?
Only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna coronavirus vaccines will be available for booster shots for those who received the Pfizer or Moderna shot for their first two doses.
Officials did not clarify if people who initially received the Pfizer vaccine can get a booster with the Moderna shot, but they have recommended against mixing vaccines in the past, most recently in its guidance for boosters in immunocompromised people.
Can people who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine get a booster?
Experts anticipate people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also need booster shots, but more data is needed before experts can recommend them.
That’s because the J&J shots were not administered in people until March, months after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines first rolled out.
Will the booster shot be free?
Yes, booster shots, like first and second doses, are free to all Americans.
IDs and insurance cards will not be required to get the booster, either.
Do you need a prescription for a booster shot?
No.
The process of getting a booster shot likely will be similar to that of receiving initial doses. Some locations may offer booster shots via appointment or walk-ins.
Why are booster shots recommended eight months after second doses?
Over time, data shows the vaccines’ effectiveness against coronavirus infection wanes.
One study published Wednesday found that between May and July — when the delta variant picked up speed — vaccine protection against infection dropped from about 92% to about 80% among New Yorkers. However, protection against hospitalization remained “relatively stable.”
Because it appears it’s more likely to get infected among vaccinated people over time, health officials predict hospitalizations and deaths may increase, too.
There is no evidence that has been occurring, but Murthy said that a gap of eight months before getting a booster shot will “ensure the protection people still have today from the vaccine will continue in the future.”
But there really is “nothing magical about this number,” Murthy said.
Are boosters needed because of the delta variant?
COVID-19 vaccines are still highly protective against hospitalization and death, which is their number one priority, even in delta’s presence.
A study published Wednesday found that among 1,129 fully vaccinated patients, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization remained the same.
Two to 12 weeks after complete vaccination, effectiveness stood at 86%. At 13 to 24 weeks post vaccination, it was at 84%. Protection remained strong among the most vulnerable for severe COVID-19, too.
But the delta variant has made it more likely to get infected despite vaccination status, though it’s much more likely among the unvaccinated.
A separate study published Wednesday showed that two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines were about 75% effective against infection in nursing home residents between March and May. But during June and July, when delta became the dominant version of the virus spreading in the U.S., effectiveness dropped to 53%.
This story was originally published August 18, 2021 at 3:51 PM with the headline "You may soon be able to get a COVID booster shot: What this does — and doesn’t — mean."
