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Johnson & Johnson is preparing to request authorization for a booster shot for its COVID-19 vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration. A source with knowledge of the pharmaceutical company's plans told the New York Times that the filing could happen sometime this week.
Last month, the drugmaker said that a second shot, administered two months after the first shot, boosts the effectiveness by 24%.
While Johnson & Johnson has not submitted the request yet, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee has scheduled a meeting for October 15 to discuss granting the company an emergency use authorization for the booster shot. The committee will also meet on the 14th to discuss authorizing a booster shot for Moderna's vaccine.
Currently, the FDA has only authorized a booster shot for Pfizer's COVID vaccine for anybody who is 65 and older, those who have a high risk of severe disease, and people who have a high risk of exposure to the virus. The booster can be given at least six months after the second dose.
According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 15 million people have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In addition, over 228 million people got the Pfizer vaccine, and nearly 152 million people have received Moderna's vaccine.