Americans may be getting a third booster shot under the Biden administration.
According to a news story that was recently published on cnn.com, top health officials have been discussing whether or not Americans should get a third COVID booster shot, which would be administered roughly eight months after being fully vaccinated.
The plan is still under development, but it sounds like boosters are definitely going to become reality for Americans who, at least, have already gotten the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines.
As far as a timeline goes, it’s possible that we could see booster shots being administered as early as mid to late September.
The US Food and Drug Administration has yet to give authorization for booster shots, but Pfizer and BioNTech said in a statement on Monday, August 16th 2021, that they’ve already submitted initial data to the FDA to support the use of booster doses for their COVID-19 vaccines.
It’s expected that the plan could be announced as soon as later this week.
This comes as a departure from previous messaging, wherein federal health officials questioned whether or not boosters were going to be needed by the general population.
Last week, authorization was actually given by the FDA to give third doses to some individuals who are immunocompromised, a plan supported and quickly recommended by the CDC as well.
At this moment in time, it seems as though the plan for boosters is only in effect for the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines.
Officials are still investigating the potential for boosters in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Most experts agree that those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also need booster shots, but more data has yet to be gathered on the subject.
According to data submitted by Pfizer/BioNTech, a third dose of the vaccine elicits significantly higher antibody responses against not only the original Coronavirus strain, but also the Delta and Beta variants.
It has also been discovered that Moderna’s 2-dose vaccine provides up to six months of protection, even against newer variants like Delta.
According to this data, people who receive a third booster of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are more protected from the variants than those who only receive two doses.
Of course, where vaccines and the general public are concerned, the messaging is still the same.
If you haven’t yet received the vaccine, the best course of action is to get it.
If you aren’t sure which vaccine to get, here’s the CDC Covid-19 vaccine comparison page, to help you decide on the proper choice.
At the end of the day, it still looks as though the vaccines are the best defense we have against not only the original Coronavirus, but also new strains (like Delta) that continue to emerge.
Thankfully, several of the vaccines show resilient effectiveness in dealing with these new variants.
If you want to stay as safe as possible from the Covid virus, your best bet is to social distance, wear a mask, sanitize, and get the vaccine.
