The COVID-19 vaccine booster shots have been approved for all Americans. But it’s not a shock to say a lot of attention has been thrown to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
But there are still more than 14 million people in the United States who got the single-dose Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. This is despite some pauses in the vaccine’s release and questions about potential side effects.
So now with boosters, what should J&J recipients do?
Can you get a Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
Yes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration approved the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots in November.
- The Johnson & Johnson booster shot is the same dose. That is different than Pfizer and Moderna, which both offer smaller doses for their boosters.
Which COVID-19 booster should you get after J&J?
Again, you can still get the Johnson & Johnson booster shot if you want to stick with the same brand.
Dr. Pablo Sanchez , a CDC advisory panel committee member, said he thinks those who got the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine should switch to an mRNA vaccine, like the ones from Pfizer or Moderna, according to CNET.
- “I would prefer that those individuals get an mRNA vaccine,” he said.
Which COVID-19 booster combo works best with J&J?
A study released in October identified the best combinations of COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, finding that overall the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine boosters shots created stronger immunity to the coronavirus than the Johnson & Johnson booster shot.
- The study suggested that those who got the J&J one-shot vaccine would be better protected from COVID-19 if they got the Moderna or Pfizer booster shot than getting a J&J booster shot.
- The study — which comes from the National Institutes of Health — found the participants who got the original J&J vaccine shot had the best immune response after they received a Pfizer or Moderna booster shot — not a J&J booster.