mRNA Vaccine Recommended as Standard... Janssen Available for Those Over 30 if Desired
"Studies Show Moderna 76x, Pfizer 35x, Janssen 4x Efficacy"
However, Moderna Dose Halved, Possibly Reducing Efficacy Slightly
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Booster shots for 1.48 million Janssen vaccine recipients will begin next month. Considering that the recommended interval for the Janssen booster shot is 2 months, authorities will start accepting advance reservations from the evening of the 28th.
Jung Eun-kyung, head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Response Promotion Team (Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency), stated at the regular COVID-19 briefing on the afternoon of the 28th, "For Janssen vaccine recipients, additional vaccinations will be administered 2 months after completing the primary vaccination series for all basic vaccine recipients." Advance reservations will begin at 8 p.m. that same day, and actual vaccinations will start from the 8th of next month.
Although the booster shot interval previously set by health authorities for COVID-19 vaccines is 6 months, Janssen recipients are exceptionally recommended to receive the booster shot starting 2 months after the initial dose. The task force explained, "This is due to the higher rate of breakthrough infections."
The vaccines administered will basically be messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines at designated medical institutions. However, for recipients aged 30 and above who wish to do so, it is possible to receive the booster shot with the Janssen vaccine by contacting public health centers. Additionally, starting from the 1st of next month, leftover vaccines will be available for vaccination using a preliminary list of medical institutions. Rapid same-day reservations for booster shots through portal applications such as Kakao and Naver are expected to be available around mid-next month.
The choice of which mRNA vaccine to receive, Pfizer or Moderna, is not guaranteed. Director Jung explained, "The types and quantities of mRNA vaccines held by each medical institution may vary," and added, "We ask that when making reservations, people consider this and check the vaccine availability at each medical institution."
Regarding the effectiveness of booster shots by vaccine type?Pfizer, Moderna, Janssen?Director Jung cited research conducted in the United States, stating, "When Moderna is administered as a booster, neutralizing antibody levels increase about 76-fold; Pfizer increases about 35-fold; and Janssen about 4-fold. Because the neutralizing ability is somewhat higher than Janssen, we recommend mRNA vaccines as the primary booster."
However, when receiving Moderna, the booster dose will be 0.25 ml (50 μg antigen), not the original 0.5 ml (100 μg antigen) dose. Director Jung explained, "This is based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewing clinical trial results presented by Moderna and changing the approval criteria regarding safety and efficacy." He added, "Although Moderna’s antigen amount is 100 μg, which is the same dose as Pfizer’s 30 μg, differences in antigen amount can affect vaccine efficacy and side effects. We analyzed clinical trial results for the booster dose to establish implementation standards." He further noted, "If there is a direct correlation between dose and antibody formation, then 50 μg of Moderna might result in an increase somewhere between 35 to 76 times, but the actual efficacy might differ somewhat from previous research results."
Regarding potential confusion caused by this change in dosage at the frontline, Director Jung said, "We will coordinate with the medical community to distinguish doses by color-coded stickers or include 'half dose' in measures to prevent incorrect vaccinations, and provide guidance, education, and management to avoid any errors."
Even if some Janssen recipients refuse the booster shot for various reasons, they will not be excluded from the vaccination certificate and negative test confirmation system starting next month. Director Jung stated, "Currently, there is no requirement that additional vaccination must be completed to be recognized as vaccinated," but added, "There have been about 3,800 confirmed breakthrough infection cases, which is about 0.2%, so we strongly recommend receiving the booster shot whenever possible."
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