CDC Director Gives Green Light To Moderna, Johnson & Johnson Boosters

Millions of Americans can sign up to get a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson booster shot starting Friday, a dramatic expansion of the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

“The evidence shows that all three [COVID-19] vaccines authorized in the United States are safe — as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given,” Walensky said in a statement just hours after a panel of CDC experts endorsed the booster program.

The FDA already authorized Pfizer-BioNTech boosters for many at-risk Americans last month, saying those 65 and older, people with high-risk conditions or anyone who works in a high-exposure job could receive a third shot to increase their protection against COVID-19.

But a second Johnson & Johnson jab will be available to anyone 18 and older who received the initial dose at least two months after the first shot.