Janssen Vaccine Also Shows Strong Booster Shot Effect... Pfizer and Moderna Plan Vaccinations at 6-Month Intervals

Preventive Effect Maintained 8 Months After Single Dose Completion
US Authorities Promote Booster Shot 6 Months After Vaccine Completion

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine has been shown to significantly increase antibody levels when followed by a booster shot. Following Pfizer and Moderna, booster shot administration for the Janssen vaccine is expected to begin in the United States soon.

Additionally, U.S. authorities are reportedly planning to move up the booster shot schedule for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines from 8 months after the second dose to 6 months.

Janssen's parent company Johnson & Johnson (J&J) announced on the 25th (local time) that in Phase 2 clinical trials conducted in the U.S. and Europe, participants who received a second vaccine dose 6 to 8 months after the initial vaccination showed antibody levels 9 times higher compared to 28 days after the first dose.

J&J plans to submit this clinical trial data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

U.S. authorities are expected to begin administering booster shots to Pfizer and Moderna vaccine recipients starting in September. They have stated that they are reviewing data to decide on the implementation of booster shots for the Janssen vaccine.

J&J explained that it is discussing the necessity of booster shots with the FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Medicines Agency, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other health authorities.

J&J also reported that among 17 participants tracked from last year's vaccine clinical trials, antibody levels remained nearly unchanged after 6 months. The Janssen vaccine has been confirmed to have a 66% efficacy rate in preventing COVID-19 after vaccination.

This contrasts with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which show over 90% efficacy immediately after completion of vaccination but experience a decline in antibody levels over time.

According to the CDC, approximately 14 million Americans have received the Janssen vaccine.

Meanwhile, on the same day, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that health authorities may move up the booster shot schedule for Pfizer and Moderna vaccine recipients from 8 months after the second dose to 6 months.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.