- We are announcing our plan to stay ahead of this virus
by being prepared to offer COVID-19 booster shots
to fully vaccinated adults 18 years and older.
They would be eligible for their booster shot
eight months after receiving their second dose
of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines.
We plan to start this program
the week of September 20th, 2021.
- [Narrator] The Biden administration booster announcement
comes amid reports of fully vaccinated people getting COVID,
cases known as breakthrough infections.
This includes a Wall Street Journal analysis
that found the Delta variant is breaking through
vaccine protection at a higher rate than other strains.
- I wanna be very clear.
This plan is pending the FDA conducting
an independent evaluation of the safety and effectiveness
of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines
and the CDC's advisory committee on immunization practices
issuing booster dose recommendations
based on a thorough review of the evidence.
- [Narrator] Here's why a third-dose booster shot
of mRNA vaccines is now recommended
for fully vaccinated people.
(bell dinging)
Data suggests that while vaccines are still shown
to be highly effective,
as antibodies begin to dwindle naturally,
the protection vaccines offer it can wane over time.
The mRNA boosters that the Biden administration
is recommending could have a big impact.
Studies show that they generate higher levels
of neutralizing antibodies than just two doses alone.
Neutralizing antibodies are the ones primarily responsible
for stopping the virus from entering cells.
- Antibodies are seen as providing
some of that initial protection against the virus,
potentially stopping infection from happening
and from the virus from spreading.
The reason why we are seeing vaccines still hold up
and be effective at preventing hospitalization
or severe disease or death
is because of other parts of the immune system,
what's known as the adaptive immune system,
such as T cells or memory B cells.
T cells actually identify, seek out,
and destroy the infected cells.
- [Narrator] The mRNA vaccine makers have released data
showing that antibody levels have increased
following booster shots,
and Pfizer and partner BioNTech are planning
to seek clearance from the FDA for a COVID-19 booster
for the general population.
The company said they sent the FDA results
from a small early stage studies
showing a third dose of vaccines generated higher levels
of neutralizing antibodies against the original virus,
as well as the Beta and Delta variants.
The third dose appeared safe in the trial as well.
The Biden administration is recommending that booster shots
for the general public be taken about eight months
after the second dose of mRNA vaccines.
But for some who are immunocompromised
and don't have a strong immune response
to the standard two-course vaccine regimen,
booster shots could be needed even sooner.
The current guidance in the CDC is that those
who are moderately to severely immunocompromised
should take a third dose of an mRNA vaccine
at least 28 days after the second shot.
- Immunocompromised people is a very broad term
that includes people who are transplant patients,
so if you have a kidney transplant.
It can include some cancer patients.
Basically individuals whose immune systems
don't necessarily respond like the general populations.
- [Narrator] Some of those who fall into this category
should be able to walk into certain clinics
to get a booster shot now,
but for the general population,
boosters have not yet been approved by the FDA,
which gives final approval on vaccines.
Pfizer is the furthest along
in the regulatory approval process,
but Moderna, which also produces a two-dose mRNA vaccine,
said it plans to ask regulators next month
to authorize booster shots as well.
- The plan ensures that people who were fully vaccinated
earliest in the vaccination rollout
will be eligible for a booster first.
This includes our most vulnerable populations,
like our healthcare providers, nursing home residents,
and other seniors.
- [Narrator] Johnson & Johnson does not make
an mRNA vaccine,
which means the current booster guidelines won't apply.
- For people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,
we anticipate vaccine boosters will likely be needed.
The J & J vaccine was not administered in the U.S.
until March of 2021,
and we expect more data on J & J in the coming weeks.
- [Narrator] The company's expected to release data
about the efficacy of two doses of its single-shot vaccine
later this month.
The White House has said that it is prepared
with enough extra vaccine orders
if the FDA approves the booster.
- That is why we ordered the number of doses we did order
several months ago because we are like boy scouts
and girl scouts and always wanna be prepared.
(bell dinging)