The Food and Drug Administration has now put the official stamp of approval on all COVID-19 vaccine booster doses.
The final approval came Wednesday for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines following approval of the Pfizer vaccine booster last Thursday. With each of the booster doses now approved, there are some important pieces of information residents should be aware of.
That was the purpose of a visit by Newman Regional Health Director of Pharmacy Jordan Kline on KVOE’s Morning Show Thursday. One of the most common questions Kline addressed was “what is a booster shot and how does it differ from a third dose?”
According to Kline, the Moderna vaccine is available six months after completing the initial series of Moderna vaccinations and is recommended for all individuals 65 and older and adults ages 18-64 with an underlying medical condition or who are at an increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace. The Johnson & Johnson booster will be available for all adults 18 and over two months after the initial dose has been administered.
With approval, the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson doses may be available by Friday if not early next week according to Kline.
As for child vaccinations, Kline says Pfizer has recently submitted a request for approval to the FDA in order to administer vaccines to kids ages 5-11. Kline walks residents through the process from there.
Another common question that has been asked frequently with cold and flu season underway is “do I need to worry about the timing between COVID and flu vaccines?” According to Kline, no you do not. In fact, Kline says residents can even get their COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time as there is no designated wait period between the two doses.
