Topline
Preliminary data from a U.S. study on Wednesday showed that people who have received Johnson & Johnsons Covid-19 vaccine could benefit more from a Moderna/Pfizer booster shot. This finding comes after the Food and Drug Administration raised concerns over the trial data for J&Js booster shots.
One study found that Johnson & Johnson vaccine recipients may be more likely to benefit from... [+] a Moderna or Pfizer booster shot. Getty Images
The Key Facts
The National Institutes of Health funded study on mixing and matching Covid-19 vaccines included 458 adults who had received one of three U.S.-approved vaccinesPfizer Moderna, Moderna, or J&Jand booster shots. After the booster shot, researchers analyzed the antibody levels of participants. The antibody levels of people who had received a J&J vaccine were 4 times higher, 35 times higher, and 76x higher after receiving a Moderna booster. Moderna recipients also had higher levels of antibody, regardless of which booster was administered, than those who were initially inoculated with either the J&J or Pfizer vaccine. Mixing and matching vaccines was not found to pose any safety risks.
Big Number
14.9 million. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is the number of Americans who have received the J&J Covid-19 single-dose vaccine. The CDCs tracker shows that 10,029 people received a J&J boost dose, even though it has not been approved by FDA.
What to Watch
The FDA's mixed review of J&Js booster shot data and the findings of the NIH-funded studies may spark debates over which booster shots will be given to the nearly 15 million single-dose vaccine recipients. The supply of Modernas and Pfizer's mRNA vaccines is far greater than that of J&Js shot. The CDC data shows that Pfizer has given more than 273,000,000 doses, while Moderna has given more than 191,000,000 doses, compared to J&Js 23.5million.
Important Background
The Food and Drug Administration published an earlier Wednesday analysis of J&Js vaccine booster. It noted that the booster appeared to be effective, but the regulator raised concerns about the sensitivity of the test it used. The vaccine maker shared data that showed that the J&J shot was 75% more effective in preventing disease when it was given twice as often two months later. The FDA stated in its document that J&Js data wasn't submitted in time to allow the regulator to verify the company's analysis. In the FDA document, the authors raised concerns about the safety of the company's test to measure immune response in trial participants. This could have led to an increase in efficacy. A panel of FDA advisors will meet Friday to discuss whether or not to recommend the J&J booster shot. The agency approved Pfizer booster doses last month for seniors and high-risk patients.
Continue reading
J.&J. vaccine recipients may be more likely to have a positive outcome. A study has shown that people who received a J.&J. vaccine are more likely to benefit from a Moderna booster or Pfizer booster. (New York Times).
According to a NIH study, J&J Covid vaccine patients are more likely to get Moderna booster or Pfizer than those who have received the J&J Covid vaccine (CNBC).
FDA says J&J Covid booster may boost immunity, but evidence isn't foolproof (Forbes).
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