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Has the US government authorized ‘booster’ shots for people who received a J&J single-dose COVID vaccine?

Tuesday, September 14, 2021
By Lisa Freedland
NO

The U.S. government has not yet formally authorized booster shots for those who received an initial dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, as researchers are still debating the medical risks and benefits.

Many experts seem to agree at least that immunocompromised people and older adults will likely benefit from a booster shot, in some cases recommending a Moderna or Pfizer formulation following the initial J&J shot. In August 2021, the city of San Francisco began offering Moderna and Pfizer boosters to those who earlier received the J&J shot.

Prominent experts have publicly declared intentions to “mix and match” a Moderna or Pfizer booster following their initial J&J shot, the New York Times reported, despite the lack of “rigorous” data. Those who want a booster may need “some deviousness” to find a drugstore willing to administer it at this point, it noted.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
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