US National Institutes of Health: "Janssen Vaccinees Show Greater Effectiveness When Receiving Moderna Booster Shot"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] It has been found that recipients of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine achieve the best effect when receiving a Moderna vaccine as a booster shot.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 13th (local time) that the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a paper confirming this fact based on clinical trials involving about 450 volunteers.

NIH researchers tracked antibody levels after administering booster shots to volunteers who had completed their initial vaccinations.

Among them, recipients of the Janssen vaccine who received the Moderna vaccine as a booster saw their antibody levels increase up to 76-fold within 15 days.

Janssen recipients who received the Pfizer vaccine as a booster experienced a 35-fold increase in antibody levels. In contrast, those who received the Janssen vaccine again as a booster showed only a 4-fold increase in antibody levels.

However, the authors of the paper emphasized that the number of participants in the clinical trial was small and should be taken into consideration.

They also added that investigations into side effects when receiving a different type of vaccine as a booster from the originally administered vaccine have not been conducted.

Meanwhile, the FDA advisory committee, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), will hold a meeting on the 15th to discuss recommendations for the Janssen vaccine booster shot.