Dr. Anthony Fauci described it as “conceivable” that people could potentially need another COVID-19 vaccine shot on top of their booster dose, though he noted that it will depend on the findings regarding the initial booster dose.
Even though full vaccination with the mRNA vaccines involves two shots, Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine only involves one shot for full vaccination. For those fully vaccinated with two shots of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, an additional jab on top of the booster would represent shot number four.
“Before we start talking about a fourth shot it will be very important for us to determine the durability of protection particularly against severe disease for the third shot booster of an mRNA, and the second shot of a J&J. Right now we don’t have that information,” Fauci said during a press briefing.
“It is conceivable that in the future we might need an additional shot, but right now we are hoping that we will get a greater degree of durability of protection from that booster shot. So we’re gonna take one step at a time, get the data from the third boost and then make decisions based on the scientific data,” he noted.
Fauci, who recently turned 81, has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades, and is currently the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden.
The public health figure also said during the briefing that “the risk is low enough that we feel you should” go ahead with “plans of having a home-related, vaccinated, boosted gathering with family and close friends who are also vaccinated and boosted.”
“If your plans are to go to a 40- to 50-person New Year’s Eve party with all the bells and whistles and everybody hugging and kissing and wishing each other a happy new year, I would strongly recommend that this year we do not do that,” Fauci said.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Task Force Hold COVID-19 Press Briefing Amidst Nationwide Omicron Rise
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