TEXAS, USA — With COVID-19 vaccine booster shots on the horizon for many, you may have a lot of questions.
Whether you received the Pfizer, Moderna Johnson & Johnson vaccine, do you know when you'll be eligible for your next shot? We've answered some of the most common questions:
Who can get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot right now?
Lara Anton with the Texas State Department of Health Services says: "The FDA has put out an EUA [emergency use authorization] for an additional dose for people who are severely to moderately immunocompromised. These are people who have had an organ transplant or are currently in cancer treatment. And so, those people, who their immune system isn't able to respond as well to vaccines, they need an additional dose."
Those people have to wait at least 28 days after their second dose to get the booster.
If you are in that group, how and where can you get the third shot?
"People can go get them from their doctors or anywhere that you can go get a vaccine, like a pharmacy. So that's available right now."
This includes Austin Public Health locations, CVS, Walgreens and other vaccine providers.
When will the general public be able to get a booster shot?
The FDA is looking at authorizing booster shots for all vaccinated people, and if they do, it is expected to happen on Sept. 20. Austin Public Health and Texas Department of State Health Services say they are getting together plans now to make the rollout as smooth as possible.
"Some of the issues that we saw with the initial rollout won't happen again because the manufacturing is already there and because they are prepared to roll out a large amount of vaccine at that time,” explained Anton. “So, we think that now that there's a lot of providers that have vaccine and that they are, the production is there for more vaccine to come out in September, you know, all we need is for providers to go ahead and build that into their plans."
When should you get a booster shot once it is approved for the general public?
The FDA is expected to recommend that people get their booster shot eight months after their second dose.
Which vaccines have booster shots available?
Right now, booster shots are only available for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. The timeline for a Johnson & Johnson booster shot is still up in the air because they are still reviewing data.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine wasn't administered in the U.S. until March of this year, whereas the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines started being administered last December. Now, 8 to 9 months later, we're gearing up for the booster. So, if the Johnson & Johnson shot follows that timeline, a booster may not be available until October. But that will also depend on how long experts believe protection will last.
With Pfizer and Moderna, the CDC is starting to see immunity get lower around the six-to-eight-month mark, with mostly mild infections, which is why the booster is recommended. But experts say the vaccine is still doing its job.
“One thing I really want to stress is that, currently, we are still seeing very strong effectiveness against hospitalizations, severe illness and death, even against the delta variant with the current two doses for most people,” said Anton. “So I don't want people to be alarmed that they need this third dose right this minute. They should get it on the timetable that is recommended.”
Can you mix and match the type of vaccines you get?
No, you must get the same brand of shot.
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