The FDA is planning to allow Americans to receive a COVID-19 booster made by a different drugmaker than the one that made the vaccine with which they were initially inoculated, The New York Times reported Oct. 18.
Four things to know:
- The government will not recommend one drugmaker's booster over another, federal officials told The New York Times. The U.S. will likely say that while it's preferable to use a booster made by the same drugmaker that produced a person's original vaccine, providers can use their discretion to offer boosters made by a different drugmaker.
- A National Institutes of Health study on mixing COVID-19 vaccine doses showed that people who were vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 shot would receive greater protection if they got a booster made by Moderna or Pfizer. It was published Oct. 13 in preprint server MedRxiv.
- The FDA is expected to approve Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters this week, greatly expanding the number of Americans eligible for COVID-19 boosters.
- State officials have been pushing for the option to mix and match COVID-19 boosters for weeks. Many say the option allows for a more streamlined booster rollout, as states often have a greater supply of one vaccine over the others.