CDC suggests that those who got J&J’s vaccine and booster consider an mRNA shot now

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Tue, 2022-03-29 16:29 — mike kraft

CDC: If you got J&J’s vaccine and booster, consider an mRNA shot now Combining single-dose shot with Pfizer, Moderna boosters offers best protection against severe covid, study shows. Lena H. Sun Washington Post

The nearly 17 million Americans who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine are less protected against serious illness and hospitalizations than those who got the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots, according to federal data released Tuesday.

The latest data suggest Johnson & Johnson recipients should get a booster with one of the messenger RNA vaccines, if they haven’t already done so — and even consider a second messenger RNA booster for the greatest protection. The data come from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that analyzed the results of mix-and-match vaccine-and-booster combinations during a four-month period when the highly transmissible omicron variant was dominant.

Even combining a Johnson & Johnson vaccine with a booster of either Johnson & Johnson, or one of the two messenger RNA vaccines, wasn’t as strong as three shots of the messenger RNA vaccines in preventing emergency room visits or hospitalizations, according to the report.

Shortly after the study’s release, the CDC gave a green light for a second booster, either of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shots, for those who received Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine and booster at least four months ago. It did not formally recommend the second booster but said people may get it if they choose. More than 1.3 million people received the Johnson & Johnson vaccines and booster, according to CDC data.

The study’s results confirm what health officials and scientists have known for some time based on earlier research. But the report is important because vaccine effectiveness data on the mix-and-match booster strategies in the real world has been limited.

The data, from a 10-state study conducted by independent researchers, may provide clarity amid a confusing stew of data about the single-dose vaccine. It shows that three doses of a messenger RNA vaccine perform the best, while a Johnson & Johnson vaccine followed by a messenger RNA booster shot is next best. Two shots of Johnson & Johnson provide a lower level of protection, with a single shot just 31 percent effective against hospitalization. ...

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