Pfizer boosters coming early in January, J&J within the next two weeks

Children and adolescents aged 12 to 17 are eligible for their second Covid-19 vaccination, J&J booster shots will be available to all (not just health workers) within the next two weeks, and Pfizer boosters will be rolled out from early January for those older than 18..

Acting health department director-general Dr Nicholas Crisp said on Friday those aged 12 to 17 are registering for their second doses.

It also “solves problems for those who were 17 when they started but are now 18 and want their second dose”.

This was approved by the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) six weeks ago, but the ministerial advisory committee was cautious after reports of myocarditis, “mostly in boys getting their second dose”.

However, “since then and based on data, we have established that there is a big increase in cases of myocarditis in young adolescents who get Covid-19. So protection comes from vaccinating them.”

Pfizer booster shots “will commence six months after the second dose of the primary series. First qualifiers are on December 28, so we can start in early January once the vaccine ministerial advisory committee (VMAC) is aligned”.

Because those older than 60 will reach the six-month mark first, they will be first in line for boosters.

Research confirmed that “after the second primary dose one starts losing immunity,  antibodies wane, but one still has cellular immunity”.

Sahpra had stated it was “safe and appropriate” to give booster doses six months after the second primary dose.

On J&J boosters, Crisp said “Sahpra expects their review over the weekend so this could be finalised next week”.

The VMAC is on standby and “we anticipated the boosters will be ready for rollout next week or latest, the following week, depending on committee approvals”.

It is expected that the general rollout will cross the 27-million dose mark on Friday morning after a slow period which picked up in the past two weeks.

TimesLIVE