COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses May Be available September: Joint Statement from HHS PUblic Health & Medical Experts

The CDC and FDA released a Joint Statement today indicating COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for all Americans possibly beginning as soon as September 2021. An excerpt is below:

“We have developed a plan to begin offering these booster shots this fall subject to FDA conducting an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issuing booster dose recommendations based on a thorough review of the evidence. We are prepared to offer booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual’s second dose. At that time, the individuals who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including many health care providers, nursing home residents, and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster. We would also begin efforts to deliver booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities at that time, given the distribution of vaccines to this population early in the vaccine rollout and the continued increased risk that COVID-19 poses to them.”

Update on Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Meeting July 22, 2021

Presentation slides for the ACIP meeting today are available here. Updates to clinical communication indicate that, while patients with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) are eligible for any of the authorized vaccines, they should discuss with their clinical teams the availability of mRNA vaccines given the association of GBS with the J&J vaccine.

For the summary of the issues regarding giving booster vaccine doses to immunocompromised patients, see data from slide 15 onwards.

Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices Meeting July 22, 2021

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet with the CDC July 22, 2021 to discuss COVID-19 vaccine boosters for immunocompromised individuals and the association of the J&J vaccine with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. See the draft agenda here.