Need a booster after the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine?

Dr. Larry CoreyA virologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and a leader in the COVID-19 prevention network, he said many questions about the COVID-19 vaccine booster remained unanswered.

However, currently available data suggest that people who have received a single dose of the J & J vaccine are well protected from the delta mutant, he said.

In one study published last month New England of Medicine, J & J researchers have discovered that the company’s vaccine provides lasting protection.

“People had stable and broader antibodies in 8 months [after immunization] More than they were essentially eight weeks, “said Corey, who wasn’t involved in the study.

The antibody also provides protection against delta, beta, and gamma mutants, “this suggests maturation of the B cell response without further boosting,” the authors write.

Antibodies are just one measure of the immune response to coronavirus. B cells and T cells also play important roles in fighting viruses and preventing serious illness.

recently, Press release Detailed preliminary results from the real world Efficacy of J & J vaccine A study of nearly 500,000 health care workers in South Africa.

In the study, “one dose [of J&J] It really worked for Delta and Betamax in terms of mortality and hospitalization, “Colley said. “But there were quite a few breakthrough infections.”

However, most cases that occur in fully vaccinated people do not require hospitalization.

“If you study some [coronavirus] In cases of delta infection, when people are vaccinated, they get a mild illness, “said Corey.

Overall, result A South African study that has not been peer-reviewed shows that the J & J vaccine provided 91 to 96 percent protection against death from COVID-19.

Vaccine efficacy for hospitalization was 65-67%, even higher when Delta was dominant in the country (71%).

The J & J vaccine provided a strong defense against death in a South African study, but Dr. Shane Crotty, a vaccine scientist at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology, had some concerns.

and officer On Twitter, he said the 71 percent effectiveness for Delta hospitalization was “overwhelming.”

He added that this level of protection is similar to that seen with a single dose of the unpeer-reviewed AstraZeneca vaccine. report Released in June by Public Health England.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which uses a delivery system similar to the J & J vaccine, is designed as a double dose regimen.

By comparison, recently studyAlthough not yet peer-reviewed, it was discovered in July in Minnesota that the Moderna-NIAID vaccine was 81% effective against COVID-19 hospitalization. This study was published on medRxiv on Monday.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided 75% protection against hospitalization. This is not much higher than a single dose of J & J in a South African study.

The actual effectiveness of the vaccine can vary from region to region and over time.

After the South African study was published, Crotti reaffirmed his previous work. recommendation About the booster following the J & J vaccine.

His decision also took into account the rapid rate at which the delta variant spreads and the limited laboratory. data It suggests that Delta weakens the immunity produced by the J & J vaccine. The data is from a preprint of the study and has not yet been peer reviewed.

Dr. Ann ForsyProfessors of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York believe that more data about boosters is needed before recommending them to millions of people.

“I think it’s really a good idea to collect data, research it, and think about it,” she said. “Especially because all vaccines protect very well from serious illnesses.”

One in progress Clinical trial Consider the benefits of mixing and matching boosters. Falsey and her colleagues are leading the Rochester site for this study.

Fully vaccinated participants will receive booster doses from another manufacturer. This includes an mRNA booster after a single dose of the J & J vaccine, or a second J & J dose as a booster.

“Are there any benefits of boosting? [after J&J]?? I think it’s likely, “Falsey said. “But again, that’s why we’re doing this research.”

Researchers also monitor the side effects people experience after booster administration.

“The first step is to make sure it’s well tolerated when boosting people,” Falsey said.

So far, in booster trials, she said, there seems to be no combination of vaccines that causes side effects that are significantly different from the original vaccine therapy.

this is, study Released in early spring, AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were mixed and matched to increase the incidence of side effects such as fever compared to two doses of the same vaccine. rice field.

Falsey said her medical center is constantly receiving calls from people asking about booster doses. She tells them: “We are doing those studies now, and we will reply to you about it.”

The Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the emergency use of booster immunization for the COVID-19 vaccine.However, officials have reported that they may come up with a booster strategy for Americans by early September. CNN..

The CDC Vaccine Advisory Board August 13 Discuss current data on the need for boosters and their effectiveness.

Dr. Joanna L. DrowosA family doctor at Florida Atlantic University, believes that boosters are the first to be recommended for a particular population.

“There is some data that immunosuppressed people, such as transplant patients and others taking drugs that suppress the immune system, do not receive the same protection from the vaccine,” she said. “So I think boosters will come first.”

This includes those who have been vaccinated once with the J & J vaccine and those who have been vaccinated twice with the mRNA vaccine.

Corey believes that older people with chronic medical conditions should also receive booster immunity.

“We know their immunity [after immunization] It wasn’t that good in the first place. ” “It was good, but it was great.”

When a patient asks Droos if he needs a booster, she recommends following the data.

She said she needs to learn more about the benefits of boosters, but the data are clear that people should be fully vaccinated.

Hospitalization Spikes in the area In the United States, where vaccination rates are low and the majority of ICU COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated.

“I want people who haven’t been vaccinated yet to be vaccinated,” says Droos. “Before focusing on people’s re-vaccination.”