American adults who received the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can start getting booster shots starting on September 20th.
However, for the almost 14 million Americans who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine – they may have to wait much longer for their shot.
According to the Biden Administration, those who received the J&J single-dose vaccine will have to wait weeks before enough data is collected to decide if a booster dose is needed.
On Sunday, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said people who received the one-dose vaccine will likely also need a booster shot, but will need the FDA to fully evaluate before a decision can be made.
Many have expressed their concerns about the fact that the J&J booster is not readily available, especially for those eligible for boosters right now and are immunocompromised.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky tweeted on Thursday, "Right now, the plan for boosters is specific to mRNA vaccine options and is still pending review and ACIP recommendation. We started using the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine 2 months after the mRNA vaccines, so the data for J&J will follow quickly."
Currently, the government is recommending a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for organ transplant recipients, cancer patients and others in the immune-compromised group. However, it's still collecting data before making a similar recommendation for another dose of the J&J vaccine in that same group.