FDA scientists strike favorable tone on J&J Covid booster shots ahead of vote this week - CNBC

The staff of the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday struck a more favorable tone on Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 booster shots, saying there may be a benefit to administering a second dose two months after the initial shot.

They also said one J&J dose was consistently less effective than the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna in clinical trials and in real-world studies.

The report by FDA scientists is meant to brief the agency's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which meets Friday to discuss data on the safety and effectiveness of a second J&J shot in adults.

A second dose of J&J's shot boasts similar performance to the mRNA vaccines, boosting protection from symptomatic infection to 94% when administered two months after the first dose in the United States, according to company data released Sept.

J&J, which uses a modified adenovirus to induce an immune response, asked the agency to approve a booster shot of its one-dose vaccine for people ages 18 and older on Oct.

The FDA advisory group is scheduled to discuss data on the safety and effectiveness of Moderna's booster shot in adults on Thursday and J&J's on Friday.

Norman Baylor, former director of the FDA's vaccines office, said last week he wouldn't have advised taking Moderna's vaccine to an advisory committee because it uses a similar platform to Pfizer's shot, which has already been authorized for boosters.