NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — While Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shots continue to go out in Connecticut, those who got the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna vaccines are getting closer to being able to get their immunity boosted.
An FDA advisory panel has recommended that everyone over the age of 18 who got a J&J COVID vaccine be eligible for another shot two weeks out.
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“You can call it a ‘booster’ or just ‘a second dose’ for that shot and a subset of those who got the Moderna shot, those above age 65 or in high-risk occupations and other medical conditions be offered a booster of the Moderna shot,” says Yale Medicine physician F. Perry Wilson.
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Dr. Wilson says the CDC still needs to weigh in during a meeting later this week. He assumes they will give them a stamp of approval and J&J and Moderna boosters will start rolling out for those eligible in places like neighborhood pharmacies in Connecticut.
As for the upcoming holidays, there are new CDC guidelines. Dr. Wilson points out that if you are not vaccinated or fully vaccinated and plan to gather, now is the perfect time to get the protection.
“If you think about dose one and dose two three to four weeks apart and then another couple of weeks to get your immune system all revved up by that vaccination and that you will be fully protected by the winter holidays so it’s a great time to get vaccinated the CDC is pushing that very hard,” says Dr. Wilson.
For those fully vaccinated he says this year will be much different.
“Some people in indoor spaces might want to wear a mask such as those who are immunocompromised with high concerns about COVID, but broadly speaking if every adult in your group is vaccinated you can have a pretty normal holiday this winter which is great news.”
As for getting children ages five through 11 vaccinated with a smaller dose, the next FDA meeting is scheduled for Oct. 26.