FDA Authorizes Moderna and J&J Boosters, and “Mixing and Matching” of Boosters and Original Vaccines' Brands

     The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today, not only gave its approval for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots, but said that Americans can now receive get booster shots from pharmaceutical companies that are different from the COVID vaccines they initially received.

     Just as the FDA authorized for the Pfizer vaccine, currently, the agency has recommended Moderna and J & J boosters for Americans 65 and older and for those 18 and older who have either medical conditions or jobs that put them at high risk for becoming infected with COVID.

     Since Sept. 17, when Pfizer's boosters were approved, 12% of Americans 65 and older have received booster shots, which the FDA says will be a huge step in protecting against breakthrough infections and waning immunity.

     Americans' ability to “mix and match” vaccines is significant because throughout the first 10 months of the vaccination process, the FDA said that vaccine recipients must receive second doses that are made the same vaccine manufacturers that created their first doses.

     People who received the one-shot J & J vaccine, which was thought to be a good, though not a great vaccine, will be especially happy to hear that they can bolster their immunity with boosters that are made by either Pfizer and Moderna, both companies of which created mRNA vaccines, which are thought to create stronger neutralizing antibody responses, according to a data from the National Institutes of Health that was considered by the FDA’s vaccine advisory committee.

     In fact, study was done at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, showed that while J&J recipients who were given J&J booster doses increased their antibodies by 4 times, but those who were given Moderna boosters saw their antibodies increase by 76 times, after 15 days, said Kathy Neuzil, MD, who participated in the conducting the study.

     Although the FDA said that many Americans may benefit from getting boosters, most experts say that the US should most focus on persuading those who refuse to get vaccinated, which comprise approximately 23% of the population, to get their first round of shots.

     “We can’t forget about the unvaccinated,” Dr. Neuzil told CBS. “We need the unvaccinated to get their primary series of vaccines, or this virus is going to be able to keep circulating,” she said.

(Photo by: Darren McGee- Office of Formor Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)