There's a Target Date for Doling Out 3rd Shots to All

If you've already gotten two jabs, you may be as little as a month away from getting your third. NBC News reports health officials announced Wednesday that they have a plan that would see booster shots made available to all vaccinated Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20. There's an asterisk to that "all": The plan doesn't include those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as officials are waiting on additional data from the company. As for the data from Pfizer and Moderna, officials say it's showing that protection is fading, and not just against hospitalization and death, but also against moderate illness, and so they're recommending a third dose eight months after people received their second.

The AP reports the overall plan is pending the FDA's review of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose. But in their statement, officials said it was "very clear" the efficacy decreases over time. "Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead," they said. The booster rollout would likely parrot the initial one, with health care workers, nursing home residents, and those over 65 getting them first. More blanks will be filled in later in the day: The CDC is set to release new data, and President Biden will be speaking on the subject.

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