Booster may be needed for J&J shot as Delta variant spreads, some experts already taking them

Published June 27, 2021
A box of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccines is seen at the Forem vaccination centre in Pamplona, Spain. — Reuters
A box of Johnson & Johnson's Covid-19 vaccines is seen at the Forem vaccination centre in Pamplona, Spain. — Reuters

Infectious disease experts are weighing the need for booster shots of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna mRNA-based vaccines for Americans who received Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) one-dose vaccine due to the increasing prevalence of the more contagious Delta coronavirus variant, reports Reuters.

A few say they have already done so themselves, according to Reuters, even without published data on whether combining two different vaccines is safe and effective or backing from US health regulators.

Canada and some European countries are already allowing people to get two different Covid-19 shots.

The debate centres on concerns over how protective the J&J shot is against the Delta variant, first detected in India and now circulating widely in many countries.

Opinion

Editorial

At heat’s mercy
Updated 28 Apr, 2025

At heat’s mercy

The current heatwave is a dire warning of what lies ahead if Pakistan fails to confront the realities of climate change.
Culture war
28 Apr, 2025

Culture war

THE heightened tensions between India and Pakistan have sealed the fate of Abir Gulaal. Slated for a May release and...
Haj mismanagement
28 Apr, 2025

Haj mismanagement

THE relevant authorities in Pakistan are often blamed for negligence and poor management when it comes to Haj...
From gains to gaps
27 Apr, 2025

From gains to gaps

AS we mark World Immunisation Week 2025 — themed ‘Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible’ — we are faced...
Crisis talks
Updated 28 Apr, 2025

Crisis talks

Sense needs to be restored so that the Pahalgam attack may be independently investigated and the victims given justice.
BYC women in jail
27 Apr, 2025

BYC women in jail

THE detained Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader Mahrang Baloch and other BYC activists, including women, are reported...