Johnson & Johnson, Moderna Boosters: RivCo COVID Update

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — For those who received the Johnson & Johnson-Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and are wondering about booster shots, an update was provided Tuesday. The company said it has submitted data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration "to support use of a booster shot of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older."

The submission includes recent study results that found a Johnson & Johnson booster shot given 56 days after the primary dose provided 94 percent protection against moderate to severe/critical COVID-19 and 100 percent protection against severe/critical COVID-19, according to the company.

A study also showed that when a booster of the Johnson & Johnson booster was given six months after the initial single shot, antibody levels increased nine-fold one week after the booster and continued to climb to 12-fold higher four weeks after the booster, according to the company.

"We look forward to our discussions with the FDA and other health authorities to support their decisions regarding boosters,” said Mathai Mammen, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Janssen Research & Development, Johnson & Johnson.

Earlier this year, the FDA granted emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna COVID vaccines. Moderna applied for full approval in June; Johnson & Johnson is expected to apply soon.

To date, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has full FDA approval for use in people 16 and older. It's also available for children ages 12-15 under the FDA's emergency use authorization.

Pfizer is the only company yet to receive FDA emergency use authorization for booster shots. Moderna submitted data to the FDA in August to support use of its booster.

The FDA's Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet next week to consider requests from Johnson & Johnson and Moderna to add booster doses. If approved, it's unclear who might be eligible for the shots.

To receive a Pfizer vaccine booster, residents must have received their second vaccine dose of Pfizer at least six months ago. To be eligible, residents must be either 65 years or older or be 18-64 years old and either have underlying health conditions that put them at risk of COVID-19 or be at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 due to occupational or institutional reasons, such as being a health care worker.

Riverside County's Latest COVID-19 Figures

Riverside County reported 19 more deaths related to COVID-19 Tuesday, along with 913 new cases and an increase in the number of people hospitalized with the virus.

A total of 5,036 deaths from virus-related complications have been recorded in the past 18 months, according to the Riverside University Health System.

COVID-related hospitalizations countywide were at 318 Tuesday, up three from Monday, according to RUHS. That number includes 83 intensive care patients, down six from Monday.
The newly reported infections lifted the county's overall number since the pandemic began to 356,122.

According to the latest RUHS figures, 58.4 percent of county residents 12 and older are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

To learn more about vaccination clinic locations or to make an appointment, visit myturn.ca.gov.