U.S. ready to use third doses of COVID-19 vaccine

The decision on the use of third doses of the CORONAVIRUS vaccine, the so-called boosters, has not yet been made, but if necessary , the United States is ready to use this opportunity to fight the pandemic, White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zints said on CBS.

He explained that the administration of President Joe Biden will look to scientists and doctors for advice on the use of boosters. “If boosters are needed, we are ready [to use them], as we have been throughout this fight against the pandemic. We have contingency plans. We have stocks. So, if a decision is made about the need for boosters, we are ready. But this decision has not yet been made by either scientists or doctors,” Zints explained.

He did not name a possible time frame for when a decision could be made, saying that it would depend on the results of the clinical trials. As soon as doctors have the necessary data, they will decide whether to use boosters, the White House coordinator explained.

The US National Institutes of HEALTH began testing on June 1. They test the response of an adult who has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to a third dose of another vaccine. It is administered three to four months after completion of the vaccination course.

The study will involve 150 people who received Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, or Pfizer vaccines.

In mid-June, The New York Times reported that the Biden administration had decided to purchase an additional 2 million doses of Moderna's vaccine in case boosters were needed in the vaccination campaign. Deliveries are due to start in the fall and continue through the winter.