The CDC panel supports COVID amplifiers for almost all adults

October 21, 2021 – An expert group advising the CDC has decided who should receive boosters after their Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Both recommendations were unanimous, 15-0.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) says anyone over the age of 18 who is at least two months old from their Johnson and Johnson vaccine should receive a booster, a recommendation that affects approximately 13 million Americans. This booster can be any of the available vaccines against COVID-19.

If CDC Director Rochelle Walnexi, MD, signs the panel’s recommendations – and is expected to do so – the boosters could become available immediately.

Those who qualify for a booster at least 6 months after their last shot by Moderna are the same groups that can receive a booster for Pfizer. They are:

• Everyone over 65 years old.
• Those over 18 years of age with a basic health condition that puts them at risk for severe COVID-19.
• Those over the age of 18 who may be at higher risk of COVID-19 infection because they live or work in a hazardous environment.

Approximately 47 million people have received vaccines from Pfizer and 39 million people have been vaccinated with Moderna, which now qualifies for a booster dose, according to data provided by the CDC.

Prior to the vote, some committee members expressed discomfort, recommending boosters in general, stressing that there was very little evidence to support the need for boosters in people under the age of 50. They worry that such a booster permit could send the wrong message to Americans and undermine confidence in vaccines.

Evidence to date shows that all approved vaccines in the United States continue to protect humans well from the severe effects of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. But breakthrough infections are on the rise, especially in people who initially received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Eventually, however, they felt it was more important to allow and allow boosters so that people and their doctors could make their own decisions.

The vote will come with a detailed set of clinical considerations gathered with the FDA and CDC to help people assess the risks and benefits of getting a booster.