We know many Illinois residents who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are wondering, what’s next? Some told the Tribune they felt “half vaccinated” now that the contagious delta variant has emerged.
Health officials are still collecting data on possible boosters for those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as U.S. officials plan boosters as early as the fall. Here’s what people who got the J&J vaccine should know:
1. You should feel reassured about the protection that you have. Dr. Michelle Prickett, who has worked in Northwestern’s COVID-19 intensive care unit throughout the pandemic, said the vaccines all work well. She said that for vaccinated people who are hospitalized, it is primarily vulnerable populations with less severe cases. Unvaccinated people are still coming in with very progressive respiratory failure and the COVID-19 pneumonia that was so dangerous last year and continues to be. She has not noticed one vaccine or another sticking out more among hospitalized patients. “The main point I would stress is people that are vaccinated do much better than people that are unvaccinated,” she said.
Dial Hewlett, head of the division of disease control at the Westchester County Department of Health and a fellow at the Infectious Diseases Society of America, noted that all vaccines are preventing severe disease and death; he noted that we are not seeing large numbers of hospitalizations and deaths among vaccinated populations.
In short, all the vaccines are helpful. Before the delta variant began to spread, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 66% effective at preventing COVID-19, while Pfizer and Moderna were 95% and 94%, respectively, although all three were highly effective at preventing hospitalization and death.
“I think we can say without a doubt that all three of the vaccines have been effective against the delta variant, which has been the predominant string that’s been here in the U.S. for the last probably six weeks,” Hewlett said. New studies from the CDC showed unvaccinated people were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die.
2. Mixing and matching vaccines might be OK, but experts counsel patience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discourages J&J recipients from getting a booster of another vaccine. Earlier guidance from the CDC said in situations where the first dose was received but the patient could not complete the series with the same vaccine, consideration can be given to vaccination with a J&J vaccine, under the supervision of a health care provider.
“I think most of us in the medical community feel that that really shouldn’t be done unless you absolutely have to,” Hewlett said. “You will get the maximum benefit,” he added, “if you use a product that is identical to the first product that your body was exposed to.”
3. If you are immunocompromised, talk to your doctor. For right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are only suggesting booster shots for immunocompromised people who received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. But Hewlett notes this vulnerable population, such as people undergoing chemotherapy or who have had organ transplants, are often seen by specialist physicians who can counsel them as to whether they would advise seeking out a Moderna or Pfizer booster shot.
4. There’s a lot we don’t know — about transmission, for example. Hewlett said we don’t have the data yet to understand whether, for example, J&J recipients contract or spread the virus more easily than those who got the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. We also don’t know how long protection lasts, exactly, although the vaccines that were initially given out early in the year still seem to be effective. Still, these questions and more are why Prickett advises maintaining cautions in your life such as masking and social distancing.
5. Johnson & Johnson released data in late September showing that a booster dose provided a strong immune response. Those results are from two early studies that are not yet peer-reviewed; they found a second dose produced an increased antibody response in adults from 18 to 55. J&J said it is now in talks with regulators including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency and others regarding using booster doses of its vaccine.
We should know more soon. In an Aug. 18 statement from CDC Director Rochelle Walensky and other officials, they said they expected more data on J&J in coming weeks and pledged to “keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots as well.” J&J data collection is different from the Moderna and Pfizer for multiple reasons; the rollout began later, and the shot uses different technology. Hewlett said he understands that people are frustrated by the lack of immediate data and subsequent guidance, but he notes that this is for good reason. The nation’s agencies have strict research protocol, and we should be reassured, he said, by a stringent — if slow — process to find out more. “I think that all of us should be very reassured with the process that we have,” he said.
Chicago Tribune’s Lisa Schencker contributed.
