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Central Coast health officials feel prepared as more COVID-19 booster shots are FDA recommended

covid vaccine
Posted at 12:14 PM, Oct 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-16 15:14:45-04

San Luis Obispo County health officials say they are prepared as the U.S. Federal Drug Administration recommended two more COVID-19 booster shots this week.

An FDA advisory group voted unanimously to recommend the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson booster shots.

With this being step one of the approval process, local health officials believe they will be able to keep up with the demand once both booster shots are officially approved.

A CDC group is meeting next week to review the data and will then make their own recommendations. After that, The Western States Scientific Review Workgroup will meet for review, and then the boosters will be available for the recommended groups.

The San Luis Obispo Public Health Department anticipated that Moderna Boosters will be recommended for the same group of people whom Pfizer boosters were recently recommended for, at least six months after their second dose. For J&J booster shots, the health department anticipates that those doses will be recommended for recipients 18 years and older at least two months after their initial dose.

In September, the Pfizer booster shot was approved for people 16 years and older approximately six months after their second dose of the vaccine.

San Luis Obispo County health officials say after the initial Pfizer booster was approved, they saw a slight increase in demand for the Pfizer doses at local health clinics, but they were able to keep up with the demand.