HHS Plans for COVID-19 Booster Shots this Fall

This week, public health and medical experts with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the ongoing development of a plan to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots to vaccinated Americans beginning on September 20. The move comes as recent data suggests protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines begins to decrease over time and a booster dose will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection.

Under the plan, federal officials anticipate recommending booster doses eight months after an individual’s second COVID-19 dose. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), will conduct an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose.

The full joint statement from HHS federal officials is available here.