Whether to Receive Janssen Booster Shot to Be Discussed at Next Week's Vaccination Expert Committee Meeting

On the 30th of last month, merchants are receiving the Janssen vaccine at the 'Mobile COVID-19 Vaccination Center' installed at Garak Market in Songpa-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] The decision on whether to administer booster shots to approximately 1.47 million Janssen COVID-19 vaccine recipients is expected to be made as early as next week.

Jung Eun-kyung, Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), stated during a COVID-19 special briefing on the afternoon of the 18th, "This week, we will consult with experts, and next week, through the Vaccination Expert Committee, we will make a quicker decision regarding additional vaccinations for Janssen vaccine recipients and provide guidance on the finalized plan."

Regarding the actual timing of the booster shots, Director Jung clarified, "It does not mean that vaccinations will be administered only after six months have passed," adding, "Since the six-month mark will be reached in December, we will review the evidence beforehand and establish a booster shot plan." Given that Janssen vaccinations began on June 10, this implies that if a booster shot is decided upon, it will be promptly administered starting in December when six months have elapsed.

She also added that analyses are being conducted on the vaccine effectiveness among Janssen recipients, the incidence of breakthrough infections, how vaccine effectiveness changes over time, and the levels and decline rate of neutralizing antibodies.

Recently, the Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC), an advisory body to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recommended booster shots based on a study analyzing 620,000 discharged military personnel vaccinated with Janssen. The study found that COVID-19 prevention effectiveness dropped from 88% in March to 3% five months later in August.

On the other hand, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a clinical trial on about 450 Janssen vaccine recipients to evaluate the effects of booster shots by vaccine type. The results showed that Moderna increased antibody levels by 76 times, Pfizer by 35 times, and Janssen by 4 times. However, NIH researchers noted that the sample size was small and that investigations into side effects from heterologous booster shots (mixing vaccine types) had not been conducted.

Earlier, the Blue House revealed in a written briefing that President Moon Jae-in instructed during a morning staff meeting to "promptly establish a booster shot plan for Janssen vaccine recipients," suggesting that the booster shot plan for Janssen recipients will gain momentum.