This story was updated on 9/22/2021, 9/27/2021, 10/20/2021, and 11/19/2021
Yes! You can get a booster shot. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized a booster shot of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for all people over the age 18. Previously, the administration approved mixing and matching vaccines, so a person who has had two doses of the Pfizer vaccine can get a booster shot of Moderna’s vaccine, for example. In its guidance, the FDA says booster shots should be administered six months after the second dose. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention will make its recommendations later today.
In September, an FDA advisory committee voted in favor of giving a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine to people ages 65 and older and those at high risk of contracting a severe form of COVID-19. The FDA followed the committee’s advice. Before today’s news, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had set policy for booster vaccinations, endorsing its use in people over the age of 65, those who work in occupational or institutional settings where they might have frequent exposure to the virus, and anyone with underlying medical conditions that might put them at risk of severe infection.
In August, the Biden administration announced that it would initiate a broad plan to offer booster shots to all Americans, eight months after their second dose, on September 20. However, the FDA’s decision to offer boosters to only a portion of the most at-risk populations has altered those plans. At the time, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says the authorization could be expanded later as regulators continue to analyze the data, though he told CNN’s State of the Union, he thought the current recommendation was a good one.
“I think it’s a good recommendation, because if you look at everyone over 65 and people from 18 to 64 with underlying conditions that make them more likely to have a severe outcome, and those who are 18 to 64 who, by either institutional or occupational situation put them at a higher risk for exposure and infection, you’re gonna get a pretty good chunk of the population.”
What is so controversial about boosters?
There has been a lot of debate about whether to distribute a booster shot to Americans who have already been vaccinated. The main concern is over whether there is enough data to support the idea that a third shot is truly necessary. Even a recent study from the CDC showed that while Pfizer’s vaccine effectiveness did decline significantly over four months, it still conferred strong protection against COVID-19. (Moderna’s vaccine showed virtually no decrease in effectiveness.)
Scientist wanted to see more data. In a September 13 report published in The Lancet, researchers wrote that it’s not clear that the overall population needs a booster. They say that all three vaccines (Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson) consistently show protection against severe disease from all the main viral variants, including delta. And while the authors note that there may be a need for a booster as protection from vaccines wanes, they say public health officials should be wary of introducing a booster too soon or too frequently, citing rare side effects. Putting out boosters too early, they write, could also undermine public confidence in vaccines if there is not a specific and direct benefit.
But Dr. Fauci recently pushed back on that. In a conversation with The New York Times, he said that data out of Israel shows that people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 show waning immunity over time, leading to infection, hospitalization, and sometimes even death. “A booster might actually be an essential part of the primary regimen that people should have,” he said, just as they are for other illnesses like Hepatitis B.
Will I be able to get one?
Most likely! The FDA has now authorized booster shots of Moderna and Pfizer’s vaccines for anyone over the age of 18. Boosters are available at your doctor’s office as well at many chain pharmacy’s including Walgreens, Walmart, and CVS.
In a prior FDA announcement authorizing the Pfizer booster for people with work-related exposure, acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock specifically mentioned that healthcare workers, teachers and daycare staff, grocery workers, and those in homeless shelters or prisons should access a booster. The CDC went onto expanded on the FDA’s decision in its guidance, encouraging anyone over 18 years of age who had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to get a booster shot.
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