Covid US: 80% of J&J vaccine recipients are getting a Pfizer or Moderna booster

Americans who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine are not opting to get the shot again for their boosters, new federal figures reveal .

The data, made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week, show that more than 80 percent of people who received the J&J vaccine opted for either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech booster.

Those who received either the Pfizer or Moderna shots for their initial vaccine series are choosing to stick with their original shot, however.

The J&J vaccine has been deemed safe and effective by regulators, though the shot is not considered to be as effective as the other two jabs.

Last month, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) presented data showing that J&J recipients had higher antibody levels after a Pfizer or Moderna booster 

More than 80% of people who have received a COVID-19 booster, and got the J&J jab first, opted for a different company's vaccine. Barely any people who received the Pfizer or Moderna jab opted for the J&J booster

More than 80% of people who have received a COVID-19 booster, and got the J&J jab first, opted for a different company’s vaccine. Barely any people who received the Pfizer or Moderna jab opted for the J&J booster

More than 19 million Americans have received COVID-19 vaccine boosters as the shots begin to become widely available in the U.S. Pictured: A woman at Chicago O'Hare Airport in Illinois received a COVID-19 vaccine shot in March, 2021

More than 19 million Americans have received COVID-19 vaccine boosters as the shots begin to become widely available in the U.S. Pictured: A woman at Chicago O’Hare Airport in Illinois received a COVID-19 vaccine shot in March, 2021

Last month, all adults who received a J&J vaccine were eligible to receive a booster at least two months after their dose.

Meanwhile, Pfizer and Moderna recipients were authorized to receive boosters if they are aged 65 or older, have underlying conditions or worked at a job that put them at risk of exposure to Covid. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also allowed fully vaccinated Americans to ‘mix and match’ COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. 

This means people can get a booster made by a company that is different than the one that made the vaccine they initially received, according to 

More than 15.3 million Americans received the J&J vaccine for their first shot, and 480,000 have received a booster so far, according to the CDC. 

Of that 480,000 group, 220,000 – or 46 percent – have opted for the Pfizer vaccine and 170,000 have gotten the Moderna shot – 35 percent.

Only 19 percent of J&J recipients opted to get that shot again for their booster dose.

By comparison, 99 percent of Americans who received the Pfizer jab for their first two shots elected to get the Pfizer booster. 

It is the same case for the Moderna shot with 95 percent of recipients getting the same company’s shot for their booster.

An insignificant portion of people who got either the Pfizer or Moderna shots first opted for the J&J booster.

The J&J Covid vaccine has had its reputation eroded in recent months and some researchers even recommend people to receive the Pfizer or Moderna shots instead of it if possible

The J&J Covid vaccine has had its reputation eroded in recent months and some researchers even recommend people to receive the Pfizer or Moderna shots instead of it if possible

Over 19 million Americans have gotten their booster shots so far, according to the CDC, with less than one percent of them getting the J&J vaccine for their booster.

Pfizer has the most popular booster, accounting for 73 percent of shots, and the Moderna booster accounts for 27 percent of third-shots.

Covid booster shots have begun to rollout in recent weeks after receiving authorization from regulators. 

Americans who received a two-dose series of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are eligible to get an additional shot six months after receiving their second. 

The NIH presented data last week showing the J&J booster raised antibody levels in J&J recipients four-fold (left) over two weeks while Pfizer's booster raised levels 45-fold (right) and the Moderna booster spiked levels 76-fold (center)

The NIH presented data last week showing the J&J booster raised antibody levels in J&J recipients four-fold (left) over two weeks while Pfizer’s booster raised levels 45-fold (right) and the Moderna booster spiked levels 76-fold (center)

Those who received the J&J one-shot vaccine can get their booster after two months.

The shorter timeline for the J&J vaccine is due to the lower efficacy of the jab when compared to its peers.

Last month, the NIH presented data at an FDA advisory committee meeting on Friday showing people who got Johnson & Johnson’s Covid vaccine had higher antibody levels if they get a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna booster shot. 

The report found that when recipients of the one-shot J&J vaccine received a second dose, their antibody levels increased four-fold over two weeks.

Comparatively, when they received a Moderna booster, their antibody levels spiked 76-fold over the same time period. 

A booster shot of the Pfizer vaccine also raised antibody levels 45-fold over the course of two weeks – higher than the J&J shot, but not as high as the Moderna shot.

The J&J vaccine has seen its reputations tarnished as well, whether fairly or not.

Detroit Mayo Mike Duggan turned down his city’s first allocation of the shot, instead wanting residents to get vaccinated with the mRNA jabs.

CVS, one of the nation’s largest private vaccine distributors, has stopped offering the vaccine at many of its locations. 

In April, use of the J&J vaccine was paused for ten days in the United States due to concerns over the shot causing rare blood clotting.

A study published Monday found that the shot increased a person’s chance at developing potentially deadly blood clots in the brain 3.5-fold – though the risk is still extremely rare.

In Baltimore, a plant manufacturing the J&J vaccine had to be shut down, and millions of doses had to be discarded after they were found to be contaminated with ingredients from the AstraZeneca vaccine.

source: dailymail.co.uk