Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday announced it has officially requested the Food and Drug Administration’s approval for a booster shot of its COVID-19 vaccine.
“We’re describing the data to them,” Dr. Mathai Mammen, head of global research and development for J&J’s vaccine arm, Janssen, told CNN.
“The process is not that we asked for a very specific interval — we’re providing them data and we’re going to be presenting to the committee. They’ll take all that into consideration when they ultimately decide on an appropriate interval.”
While health experts have been mostly divided over the necessity for booster shots, particularly while so many people in the United States and beyond have yet to receive their first jab, President Biden and his administration threw their support behind an extra dose back in August — a move he hopes will further establish protection against coronavirus and the delta mutation.
Johnson & Johnson is the third drug-maker to submit a request for booster approval after Moderna and Pfizer. Health officials approved the latter last month and the FDA’s Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet Oct. 14 and 15 to consider requests from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
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