Announced by health officials and the Biden administration on Wednesday, Americans who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to get a booster shot beginning in September.
Starting September 20, booster shots will be offered to individuals who were vaccinated in the early stages of the nationwide rollout, such as healthcare workers, nursing home residents and senior citizens, in order to further protect against COVID-19. Americans who got the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be eligible to get a booster shot eight months after they received their second shot.
More research will be done on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the coming weeks. Since the rollout of the J&J vaccine did not begin until March 2021, the booster shot would be launched later than the Pfizer and Moderna boosters.
The news of the booster shot comes as the delta variant of COVID-19 has increased cases around the country in a large spike, with some cases coming from people who are already fully vaccinated.
“The available data make very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination, and in association with the dominance of the Delta variant, we are starting to see evidence of reduced protection against mild and moderate disease,” said a statement from health officials in the Biden administration.
Vaccine mandates are becoming the norm in cites across the county. In New York City, proof of vaccination will be required beginning on September 13 for indoor restaurants, bars, stage theaters, concert venues, museums and other entertainment venues.