COVID booster shots: Answers to all your questions

The Delta variant has started to bring back masks in the U.S. — and now COVID-19 vaccine booster shots could be on their way.

Some have argued that booster shots are needed as vaccine protection wanes months after the initial jab, while others have said that it’s too early to really know whether booster shots are needed. Either way, you probably have questions about the potential booster shots.

Where does the U.S. stand on booster shots right now?

By early September, we should know whether booster shots are needed.

The Food and Drug Administration reportedly will have a strategy for follow-ups just as school starts to ramp up again. However, it seems that it will be on a case-by-case basis. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Biden administration has put pressure on the agency to speed up its booster plan.

Who should get booster shots?

White House Chief Health Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci said last week that the U.S. government is making booster shots available to immunocompromised people “as quickly as possible.” That means people with compromised immune systems, like those with HIV or undergoing chemotherapy, would receive a follow-up jab.

The Biden administration wants people 65 or older to get a booster shot, in addition to people who received shots in December or January

The government maintains that the general population still does not need booster shots, but some people have made decisions on their own.

Do booster shots have side effects?

There seem to be very mild side effects.

A preliminary study conducted in Israel using the Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot found that side effects were similar to the second dose, like feeling soreness where the shot was administered.

A very small percentage — roughly 0.4% of the nearly 4,500 participants — said they experienced trouble breathing, and just 1% needed medical treatment for multiple side effects.

Israel started giving booster shots to fully vaccinated people over the age of 60 in July. As of Sunday, more than 240,000 people have received a booster shot of Pfizer, according to Clalit, an Israeli health care provider.

What have vaccine providers like Moderna and Pfizer said about booster shots?

Two major vaccine makers, Moderna and Pfizer, have backed booster shots.

Last week, Moderna said it expects people who received its two-dose vaccine to need a booster shot in the fall. The vaccine, which is 93% effective for at least six months, showed a decline in antibody levels after that period, the company said.

The company said it will complete its submission to the FDA for full vaccine approval this month.

“We’re playing it safe, not only for Delta but also for what’s coming after,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said. “I don’t think the virus is done.”

Pfizer provided data in July that said antibody levels increased 5 to 10 times after the third dose in comparison to after the second dose. The Wall Street Journal reported that the FDA hopes to approve the third jab by September.

Meanwhile, Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine may remain only one shot. A recent study from a clinical trial in South Africa found that the one-shot J&J vaccine remains “highly effective” against the Delta and Beta variants.

Can I mix booster shots with a different vaccine vendor?

There have been reports about people mixing vaccines thinking it will give them more protection than sticking with one brand, but the World Health Organization warns against mixing and matching vaccines, arguing that those decisions should be made by health officials.

“Individuals should not decide for themselves, public health agencies can, based on available data,” said WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan. “Data from mix and match studies of different vaccines are awaited – immunogenicity and safety both need to be evaluated.”

Some research found that mixing vaccines can outperform two shots of the same vaccine.