By Emily Cousins | Staff Writer
Additional shots for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines have been approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, but they have only been recommended for immunocompromised people.
In a news release, the FDA said people who are not immunocompromised do not need to worry about additional doses yet, but anyone who is in close contact with an immunocompromised person should get vaccinated according to their health status.
“Today’s action allows doctors to boost immunity in certain immunocompromised individuals who need extra protection from COVID-19,” FDA commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said. “As we’ve previously stated, other individuals who are fully vaccinated are adequately protected and do not need an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine at this time. The FDA is actively engaged in a science-based, rigorous process with our federal partners to consider whether an additional dose may be needed in the future.”
The ever-changing state of COVID-19 makes it difficult to predict if booster shots will be needed for the general public, Vahedi Shah — lead epidemiologist for the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District — said via email.
“The CDC and FDA are looking at the data available from other countries as well as studies by Pfizer to make the determination,” Shah said. “We will follow the recommendations made by these organizations.”
Baylor medical director Sharon Stern said via email that doctors are learning more daily about the immune response and how long it lasts.
“If you look at current immunizations, you will find tetanus booster every 10 years, influenza every year and some shots like MMR and varicella that do not require boosters after the initial series,” Stern said. “We had years and years of data to figure out which schedule to put those on.”
Stern said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not recommended a booster shot for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and she would suggest following what the CDC has advised.
Shah said doctors are still researching the combination of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and mRNA vaccines.
“At present, any student who would like to get an mRNA vaccine after a J&J should consult with their healthcare provider,” Shah said.
Shah said the FDA and CDC have decades of experience working to curb the spread of diseases, and people should follow the guidance of these experts.
“The more the virus circulates in the population, the higher the chances for mutations,” Shah said. “If a higher proportion of the population is not vaccinated, there is a strong possibility that the vaccines may be less effective against new mutations.”
Stern said at this time, all the vaccines are effective against known variants.
”Chances are, the brilliant vaccine scientists will be able to tweak the current vaccines if we have a variant that the vaccine does not protect against,” Stern said.
