CNS Occupational Medicine is now scheduling booster doses for Moderna and Pfizer
An estimated 103 million Americans have received at least two doses of Pfizer’s vaccine, 69 million with Moderna’s vaccine, and 15 million with J&J’s single-dose vaccine, according to the CDC.
On Thursday October 21, the CDC voted unanimously to recommend emergency use authorization of a booster dose of Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.
For our patients who received their initial doses of Moderna, boosters would consist of a half dose from their previous 100 micrograms doses for initial vaccinations in individuals 18 years of age and older.
On Novemver 19, Booster Shots for Moderna and Pfizer are now approved for all adults over the age of 18, who have been fully vaccinated for at least 6 months… all other limits were removed.
“We are also taking action to include the use of mix and match boosters to address this public health need,” said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s vaccine arm, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
What to know about mixing and matching booster vaccines?
Interest in vaccine longevity increased in August when some studies suggest vaccine effectiveness was waning, although data also showed the vaccines were still highly effective against hospitalization. In one study reported by the CDC, data from New York showed vaccine effectiveness dropping from 91.8% to 75% against infection.
After this week’s meeting, we will have a clearer understanding on whether some people could receive a different booster vaccine.
Experts say that the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) should be interchangeable while the advisory panels dig deeper on the interchangeability of the J&J vaccine.
The discussion on receiving a different booster vaccine has become more popular as head-to-head studies in the U.S. find the Moderna vaccine more effective than the others. The data showed that Moderna’s vaccine provided 93% protection against hospitalization, Pfizer’s 88% effective, and J&J was 71% effective.
NPR: A study of COVID vaccine boosters suggests Moderna or Pfizer works best
Additionally, a study published in August found that—of almost 2,500 workers at a major Belgium hospital system—antibody levels among individuals who hadn’t been infected with the coronavirus before getting two doses of the Moderna vaccine generated more than double the antibodies of a similar shot made by Pfizer.
This has driven the interest in the people wanting the Moderna booster vaccine when it becomes available.
The FDA today said it decided to allow the mix-and-match boosters after National Institutes of Health researchers presented their findings last week to its vaccine advisers.
“For example, Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine recipients 18 years of age and older may receive a single booster dose of Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine, Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (half dose) or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine at least two months after receiving their Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine primary vaccination,” it said.
CNS Occupational Medicine offers services to contribute to your company’s Return-to-Work Plan, including pre-shift screenings meant to test employees before starting their shifts. Risking the health of your employees and your business is not worth it.
- Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
- Pre-hire screenings
- Pre-employment DOT Physicals and HAZWOPER Physicals
- Pre-Shift Screenings
- Audiometric testing
- Respiratory/Spirometry Physicals
- Drug and alcohol testing programs
- OSHA compliant services
- Flu Vaccinations
- Antibody Testing
- COVID-19 PCR Tests (99.9% accuracy, 24-48 hour turnaround)
- Rapid Antigen Testing
- and more
Start your customized health plan to meet your business needs and keep your employees healthy and safe.
For more information, contact us at 800.551.9816 or info@cnsoccmed.com.
