Booster Shots, Tertiary Doses and Boosted Doses for COVID-19 Vaccines — What Y'all Demand to Know

Featured Experts:

  • Dr. Maragakis

  • Dr. Gabor Kelen

COVID-xix vaccine boosters and additional vaccine doses are now authorized by the U.Southward. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for nigh people, as shortly every bit they are eligible.

Lisa Maragakis, M.D., Grand.P.H., senior director of infection prevention, and Gabor Kelen, Grand.D., manager of the Johns Hopkins Office of Disquisitional Upshot Preparedness and Response, explain what you demand to know near these COVID shots.

What is a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

A COVID booster shot is an additional dose of a vaccine given after the protection provided by the original shot(s) has begun to decrease over fourth dimension. The booster helps people maintain potent protection from severe coronavirus illness.

Why do I demand a booster, since the COVID-19 vaccines are effective?

The protection offered by the FDA-approved and authorized vaccines is very powerful, but information technology starts to weaken after two months for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and afterward v months for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Getting a booster shot extends the protection, even against the delta and omicron variants.

Two studies released by the CDC (one conducted April–December 2021 and the other from August 2021–January 2022) prove that being fully vaccinated (getting both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or ane Johnson & Johnson vaccine) plus receiving a booster provides greater protection from severe disease, hospitalization and decease due to COVID-nineteen compared to merely existence fully vaccinated. A third written report, published in the Periodical of the American Medical Association, shows similar results. The enquiry also indicates that the booster offers greater protection against the delta and omicron variants than being fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all.

The CDC recommends that people who are vaccinated get a booster dose when they are eligible, and that they stay upwardly to date with COVID-xix vaccinations.

Who can go a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

The CDC recommends a COVID-19 booster if y'all are:

  • Age 18 or older and yous received the Janssen-Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago
  • Age 18 or older and you lot received both required doses of the Moderna vaccine at least five months ago (your booster will be a half dose)
  • Age 12 or older and you received both required doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at to the lowest degree five months agone (the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is the simply vaccine and booster authorized for children and teens ages 12–17)
  • The CDC recommends that you go vaccinated and boosted even if yous previously had COVID-19 infection. Before getting a shot, exist sure y'all have followed isolation and quarantine guidelines and then you lot do not infect others, and discuss your COVID-nineteen history with the medical team.

What are COVID booster side effects?

Later getting vaccinated for COVID-19, you lot might experience some temporary symptoms similar to those you might notice when you lot get a flu shot, such every bit a sore, swollen arm where you got the shot. You lot might run a fever and feel body aches, headaches and tiredness for a day or ii. Chills, swollen lymph nodes can also occur.

These symptoms do non mean y'all are sick. They signal that your immune arrangement is responding to the shots and building up protection against the coronavirus.

Should I get an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose if I have a weakened immune system?

People who have a medical condition associated with immunosuppression are eligible to get an additional vaccine dose.

This additional dose is given to people with moderately or severely compromised allowed systems to improve their response to the initial vaccine serial.

What is the difference between a booster and an additional dose?

A COVID-xixbooster is given when a person has completed their vaccine series, and protection against the virus has decreased over fourth dimension. Depending on the original series yous had, some details will vary. Please review the booster eligibility information to a higher place and talk to your wellness care provider if yous are not certain if you meet these guidelines. Please note, if you receive the Moderna booster, you will receive half of the original Moderna dose.

Anadditional dose is administered to people with moderately to severely compromised allowed systems. This additional dose is intended to meliorate immunocompromised people'south response to their initial vaccine series. Depending on the original serial given, some details will vary. Please review the boosted dose eligibility information and talk to your health care provider if you are not sure if yous encounter these guidelines.

Who can become an additional dose of a COVID-19 vaccine?

The CDC and the FDA recommend an additional dose when eligible for those who are immunocompromised and ages 5 and older. This includes those who:

  • Have been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the claret
  • Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune arrangement
  • Received a stalk prison cell transplant within the last two years, or are taking medicine to suppress the immune arrangement
  • Are diagnosed with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such equally DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
  • Are diagnosed with HIV and have a high viral load or low CD4 count, or are not currently taking medication to treat HIV
  • Are taking drugs like high-dose steroids or other medications that may cause severe suppression of the immune system

The CDC also recommends a booster shot 3 months after the additional primary shot for those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, and two months after the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

If you lot are not sure whether you fit into whatever of these categories, please contact your medical provider. For more details, please review the CDC's information for moderately to severely immunocompromised people.

When should I become an additional dose of COVID-xix vaccine?

If you are immunosuppressed and originally received the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, y'all tin can get an additional dose when it has been at least 28 days since your 2nd shot.

If you got the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, you can get an boosted dose when it has been at least two months since your vaccine.

Does my COVID-nineteen booster or additional dose have to be the same brand that I got before?

No, yous can mix and match brands. The FDA has authorized three vaccine boosters — Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Janssen-Johnson & Johnson — and determined that it is safety to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster or additional dose that is a different brand than your initial dose or doses.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and booster are the just ones authorized for children and teens ages 12–17.

If you get the Moderna booster, you lot will receive half of the original Moderna dose. Delight exist sure to confirm this with the person giving you the shot.

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COVID-xix Vaccine

Get information and updates from Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Updated January 28, 2022