Independent FDA panel votes to authorize booster shots for Johnson & Johnson vaccine

An independent Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Friday voted to move forward with Johnson & Johnson vaccine boosters.

A day after voting in support of Moderna booster shots for certain at-risk Americans, an independent Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Friday voted to move forward with Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine boosters.

The panel’s decision on J&J was broader then it was for Moderna and Pfizer as it applies to all J&J recipients 18 and older. The timing is also different: It can be administered two months after the initial shot.

For the two mRNA vaccines, the panel agreed they should be authorized for a narrower group: seniors and everyone 18 or older if they have underlying conditions or could be exposed to the virus at work. They also agreed on a timeline of six months after the second shot.

The FDA has not found an increase in concerning side effects from any of the three vaccines’ booster doses.