by being prepared to offer COVID-19 booster shots

to fully vaccinated adults 18 years and older.

They would be eligible for their booster shot

eight months after receiving their second dose

of the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines.

We plan to start this program

the week of September 20th, 2021.

- [Narrator] The Biden administration booster announcement

comes amid reports of fully vaccinated people getting COVID,

cases known as breakthrough infections.

This includes a Wall Street Journal analysis

that found the Delta variant is breaking through

vaccine protection at a higher rate than other strains.

- I wanna be very clear.

This plan is pending the FDA conducting

an independent evaluation of the safety and effectiveness

of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines

and the CDC's advisory committee on immunization practices

issuing booster dose recommendations

based on a thorough review of the evidence.

- [Narrator] Here's why a third-dose booster shot

of mRNA vaccines is now recommended

for fully vaccinated people.

(bell dinging)

Data suggests that while vaccines are still shown

to be highly effective,

as antibodies begin to dwindle naturally,

the protection vaccines offer it can wane over time.

The mRNA boosters that the Biden administration

is recommending could have a big impact.

Studies show that they generate higher levels

of neutralizing antibodies than just two doses alone.

Neutralizing antibodies are the ones primarily responsible

for stopping the virus from entering cells.

- Antibodies are seen as providing

some of that initial protection against the virus,

potentially stopping infection from happening

and from the virus from spreading.

The reason why we are seeing vaccines still hold up

and be effective at preventing hospitalization

or severe disease or death

is because of other parts of the immune system,

what's known as the adaptive immune system,

such as T cells or memory B cells.

T cells actually identify, seek out,

and destroy the infected cells.

- [Narrator] The mRNA vaccine makers have released data

showing that antibody levels have increased

following booster shots,

and Pfizer and partner BioNTech are planning

to seek clearance from the FDA for a COVID-19 booster

for the general population.

The company said they sent the FDA results

from a small early stage studies

showing a third dose of vaccines generated higher levels

of neutralizing antibodies against the original virus,

as well as the Beta and Delta variants.

The third dose appeared safe in the trial as well.

The Biden administration is recommending that booster shots

for the general public be taken about eight months

after the second dose of mRNA vaccines.

But for some who are immunocompromised

and don't have a strong immune response

to the standard two-course vaccine regimen,

booster shots could be needed even sooner.

The current guidance in the CDC is that those

who are moderately to severely immunocompromised

should take a third dose of an mRNA vaccine

at least 28 days after the second shot.

- Immunocompromised people is a very broad term

that includes people who are transplant patients,

so if you have a kidney transplant.

It can include some cancer patients.

Basically individuals whose immune systems

don't necessarily respond like the general populations.

- [Narrator] Some of those who fall into this category

should be able to walk into certain clinics

to get a booster shot now,

but for the general population,

boosters have not yet been approved by the FDA,

which gives final approval on vaccines.

Pfizer is the furthest along

in the regulatory approval process,

but Moderna, which also produces a two-dose mRNA vaccine,

said it plans to ask regulators next month

to authorize booster shots as well.

- The plan ensures that people who were fully vaccinated

earliest in the vaccination rollout

will be eligible for a booster first.

This includes our most vulnerable populations,

like our healthcare providers, nursing home residents,

and other seniors.

- [Narrator] Johnson & Johnson does not make

an mRNA vaccine,

which means the current booster guidelines won't apply.

- For people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine,

we anticipate vaccine boosters will likely be needed.

The J & J vaccine was not administered in the U.S.

until March of 2021,

and we expect more data on J & J in the coming weeks.

- [Narrator] The company's expected to release data

about the efficacy of two doses of its single-shot vaccine

later this month.

The White House has said that it is prepared

with enough extra vaccine orders

if the FDA approves the booster.

- That is why we ordered the number of doses we did order

several months ago because we are like boy scouts

and girl scouts and always wanna be prepared.

(bell dinging)