US FDA advisers recommend Johnson & Johnson boosters

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on Friday to recommend booster shots for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine.

The FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee's unanimous 19-0 vote was in favor of booster shots for anyone aged 18 and above receiving a second booster shot of the vaccine at least two months after receiving the first dose.

The committee's non-binding advice will now be weighed by the FDA, which will separately determine whether or not it will follow suit.

Johnson & Johnson submitted data to the FDA on Oct. 5 in support of the agency signing-off on boosters for adults. At the time, the company said a booster administered six months after an initial dose prompted antibody levels to increase nine-fold one week after the shot was administered.

Levels jumped twelve-fold a month after the second shot was administered, according to Johnson & Johnson.

Overall, protection from COVID-19 jumped to 94%, the company added.

The FDA has already signed-off on boosters for Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine for individuals aged 65 and older, and adults who are at high-risk for COVID-19 either because of pre-existing conditions or because of their occupation.

The agency is also currently weighing approval of Moderna boosters.