The U.S. Will Offer Third Doses of Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines, Starting as Early as September

If you're already fully vaccinated with a double dose of either the Pfizer-BoiNTech or Modern vaccine, you could be receiving your third shot sooner than you think. Amid the rapid spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will begin offering third doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to all individuals who have already received two shots. After studying the data, and considering the threat of the Delta variant as well as the expected reduction in immunity of the vaccine over time, top health officials have concluded that a third shot should be administered eight months after receiving the second dose of the vaccine in order to boost and optimize protection against the virus.

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The announcement came in a joint statement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and top medical experts, including President Biden's chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, MD, and Rochelle Walensky, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health authorities make it very clear that the COVID-19 vaccines continue to be extremely effective, but as is expected with any shot, the protection it provides can begin to wane with time, which may increase the risk for breakthrough cases in fully vaccinated folks.

"The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be remarkably effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant…. The available data make very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination," the statement reads. "Based on our latest assessment, the current protection… could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout. For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability,"

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The U.S. government has announced that it's planning to offer booster shots starting as soon as September 20, once the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives formal authorization, and that a plan is already in place to make them available to all Americans. As with the initial rollout of the vaccine earlier this year, health care workers, adults aged 65 and older, those in long-term care facilities, and others who received the first doses early on are expected to be first in line to get shot number three.

The announcement also notes that there is likely to be a booster shot coming for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well. However, the data is still forthcoming, and an announcement would follow ongoing research into a J&J shot's safety, efficacy, and necessity.

This announcement follows last week's news that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized third doses of the vaccine for immunocompromised individuals who've already gotten their double jab. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)'s also recently formally recommended that pregnant women receive the vaccine, since the data show that the shot poses little to no risk of harming the baby or mother (while the risk for COVID-19 infection is, in fact, highly worrisome).

"Our top priority remains staying ahead of the virus and protecting the American people from COVID-19 with safe, effective, and long-lasting vaccines especially in the context of a constantly changing virus and epidemiologic landscape," the statement concludes. "We also want to emphasize the ongoing urgency of vaccinating the unvaccinated in the U.S. and around the world. Nearly all the cases of severe disease, hospitalization, and death continue to occur among those not yet vaccinated at all. We will continue to ramp up efforts to increase vaccinations here at home and to ensure people have accurate information about vaccines from trusted sources."

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