Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine "should have been a 2-dose vaccine to start with."
A panel of FDA experts recommended last week that J&J authorize the request for a booster dose.
Fauci stated that people who have received the J&J should not be concerned about their recommendation on ABC News' "This Week."
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Dr. Anthony Fauci is the long-serving director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He stated Sunday that a recommendation from the US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel suggested that two doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination should have been required.
As Insider reported, an FDA panel of outside experts voted Friday to support Johnson & Johnson’s request to offer a booster shot. The panel recommended that everyone who received the J&J vaccine in a single shot get a second dose regardless of age or any other underlying conditions.
The FDA approved the J&J shot for emergency use in February. This was in contrast to the two-dose options offered by Moderna and Pfizer, which required two doses to complete vaccination.
"We know that this vaccine wasn't as effective as other," Martha Raddatz, ABC News, stated Sunday on "This Week." Given these recommendations, "So should the 15 million vaccine-eligible people be worried?"
Fauci responded, "No, Martha, not at all," Fauci stated that Fauci believed they should be happy about it, as FDA advisors felt that the vaccine should have been two-dose.
The FDA committee unanimously voted in favor of the recommendation for an additional shot. It recommended that any person who received the shot receive another two months later.
Fauci said that he believes the FDA panel's recommendation is a good thing.
Raddatz was told by he that he didn't consider it a problem.
As Insider reported, the FDA released last week its own summary of J&J’s application. It noted several deficiencies in the evidence J&J submitted to authorize a booster shot. Although the FDA is not required to agree with the panel's recommendation, it usually accepts such recommendations.
A recent study found that mixing a J&J shot and a dose Moderna or Pfizer vaccine could increase the initial immune response.
Fauci stated Sunday that the data for boosting the J&J's first dose with the J&J's second dose was based on clinical data. "The FDA will review all the data and compare them to determine what they will approve.
Last month, the FDA approved boosters of Pfizer's vaccine for people over 65 years old or those at high risk of COVID-19. The FDA's panel of experts recommended last week that the third dose of Moderna’s vaccine for high risk groups be approved.
