GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Local health systems are preparing for the possibility of a rollout of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots.
AFood and Drug Administration panel voted Thursday to recommend booster shots for Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine. The decision will now go to the FDA and later the CDC in order for the booster shots to be approved for emergency use. The panel will meet again Friday for a similar discussion about Johnson & Johnson booster shots.
Bellin Health is preparing to administer Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots at its vaccine sites where the Pfizer booster shot is currently being administered.
"We are set up and well-positioned to be able to move into the Moderna booster and the J&J booster as they are approved," said Sherry Lafond, the primary care operations leader at Bellin Health.
Lafond says Bellin is also able to administer vaccines at some of its COVID-19 testing sites if the demand for booster shots increases. She says Bellin has already seen an increased demand for vaccines since the rollout of the Pfizer booster shot.
"I would say the boosters right now are definitely outpacing the first doses for people who are looking for their first dose," Lafond said. "The vast majority of what we're giving right now is the booster for Pfizer."
Prevea Health is also seeing a large demand for the Pfizer booster shot and is preparing to have Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots available at its vaccine sites and normal clinics. Prevea Health President and CEO Dr. Ashok Rai estimates Prevea is currently administering about 300-500 Pfizer booster shots per day.
"We saw waning immunity for milder infections especially in the face of delta and that's why the Pfizer booster was approved and that's what's being looked at for J&J and Moderna too," Rai said. "Are they holding steady with the ultimate endpoint which is hospitalization and death and in the other areas is there an improvement with the booster?"
Dr. William Hartman, the principal investigator for the UW Health Moderna Pediatric Vaccine Trial, says that enhanced immunity is what has made the Pfizer booster shot so popular, especially among people who are most at risk for infection.
"It's typical to have waning immunity to coronaviruses and that's also what we're seeing with these vaccines is that your antibody levels do decrease and need to get boosted," Hartman said. "There's been a great enthusiasm by people who are front line medical personnel especially and also within the older population that got the Pfizer vaccine initially, they're very excited to get a booster to give them that enhanced protection."
Given the high demand for the Pfizer booster shot, health systems are expecting an even larger demand for vaccines if the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots are ultimately approved.
"We're working to make sure we have all the drugs available, Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J," Rai said. "Then making sure we follow the FDA recommendations. We don't know is it going to be six months after the last shot, two months after the last shot, so those are the things we're going to find out here in the next 48 hours."
