Covid-19 Vaccine Booster ShotsAugust 2021

Booster Shots FAQ:

When Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot be Available?
COVID-19 booster shots will become available in the fall, 8 months after eligible individuals receive their second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

Who Will be the First People to Get a Booster Shot?
The people who are most at risk will be the first to be eligible for booster shots. This includes healthcare providers, residents of long-term care facilities, and other older adults.

Why is the US Waiting to Start Offering COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots?
COVID-19 vaccines in the US are highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the Delta variant. However, the virus constantly evolves, and experts are looking at how the vaccines are working, including how new variants, like Delta, affect the efficacy of the vaccine.

Will People Who Received Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine Need a Booster Shot?
People who received a J&J COVID-19 vaccine will most likely need a booster shot. The data needed to make this decision aren’t available yet.

Can People Who Received Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J/Janssen) COVID-19 Vaccine Get a Booster Shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Vaccine?
There aren’t enough data currently to support getting an mRNA (Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna) vaccine dose if someone has gotten a J&J/Janssen vaccine.

If We Need a Booster Shot, Does That Mean the Vaccines Aren’t Working?
COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even against the Delta variant. However, public health experts are seeing reduced protection against mild and moderate disease with the Delta variant.

What’s the Difference Between a Booster Shot and an “Additional” Shot?
Some people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised do not build enough (or any) protection when they first get vaccinated. Getting another dose of the vaccine can sometimes help them build more protection against the disease. CDC recommends these people consider receiving a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after they complete the initial 2-dose mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series.

A “booster shot” refers to another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who has built enough protection after vaccination, but that protection has decreased over time.

For more information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html