Covid Booster shots and the vaccine for kids

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
1

Hi Austin and Jordan,

I appreciate the site and the time, effort and knowledge you share. I have a question about the Covid vaccine and boosters. For those who received the J&J vaccine, what are your thoughts regarding boosters?

Initially the J&J vaccine was deemed a one dose vaccine. Recently some have said it should have been a two shot vaccine all along and that anyone over the age of 18 (regardless of their health, underlying conditions, etc.) who had the shot more than 2 months ago should get a booster. That coupled with the fact that there’s seemingly infinite opinions/research on whether the booster should be another dose of J&J or a mRNA vaccine have proven quite cumbersome to the general public facing these decisions.

Do you have any recommendations? It almost seems like time may provide more clarity on what we should do, but I realize we have to make decisions in real time (just trying to figure out how to make the best long-term decisions for your/your family’s health).

I’d also love your thoughts on the vaccines for children ages 5-11 if time permits.

Thanks in advance for your help.

2

I understand all of this can be quite confusing, as it is complex and constantly evolving.

For individuals who received a J&J vaccine previously, a single dose of an mRNA vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer or Moderna) would be preferable as a booster for most adults.

I do not have strong opinions of my own on the topic of vaccinating the 5-11 year age group, as I do not practice pediatrics or keep up with the pediatric biomedical literature. So I would defer to other experts on that topic.