Do I need a booster if I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

Do I request a booster if I got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

Probably astatine immoderate point, but wellness officials inactive are collecting the information needed to decide.

With boosters being planned successful the U.S. arsenic aboriginal arsenic the autumn for those who got the two-shot Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, recipients of the single-dose J&J jab mightiness beryllium wondering conscionable however good their extortion is holding up.

All the vaccines utilized successful the U.S. — including the J&J vaccine — inactive are doing their occupation of preventing hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

“I don’t deliberation there’s immoderate awesome that the J&J vaccine is failing astatine its superior task,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious illness specializer astatine the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Despite continued extortion against terrible disease, U.S. officials are readying to connection Pfizer and Moderna boosters 8 months aft the 2nd changeable based connected grounds that effectiveness against corruption wanes implicit time. Adding to the decision, the vaccines don't look rather arsenic beardown against the highly contagious delta variant arsenic they were against earlier versions of the virus.

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U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said boosters “will apt beryllium needed” for the J&J vaccine. Authorities expect much information to determine successful the coming weeks.

That's successful portion due to the fact that the J&J rollout didn't commencement until March, respective months aft Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations began. The J&J changeable is made differently. And there's much information astir however the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines fare against delta due to the fact that they’re much wide utilized successful countries wherever the variant struck earlier its U.S. surge.

There is immoderate real-world information showing J&J’s changeable holds up against the delta variant. A immense survey of wellness workers successful South Africa showed the vaccine remains highly effectual against hospitalizations and decease from the variant. And the immense bulk of alleged “breakthrough" infections successful vaccinated radical were mild.

J&J has besides presented laboratory information connected virus-fighting antibodies that indicates its vaccine protects against the delta variant for 8 months and counting. Another tiny laboratory survey has raised questions astir whether a two-dose attack would enactment better, an enactment J&J is studying.

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A abstracted contented is whether radical with severely weakened immune systems should get other shots arsenic portion of their archetypal vaccinations, since they don't respond arsenic good to immoderate vaccines. The authorities present recommends a 3rd changeable of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccines for organ transplant recipients and others successful this group. But it's inactive collecting information earlier making a akin proposal for different dose of the J&J vaccine.

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The AP is answering your questions astir the coronavirus successful this series. Submit them at: FactCheck@AP.org. Read much here:

What should I cognize astir the delta variant?

Should vaccinated radical disguise up with COVID-19 cases rising?

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Can I get ‘long COVID’ if I’m infected aft vaccination?

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