CDC backs the rollout of COVID vaccine boosters from Moderna and J&J
NPRCDC backs the rollout of COVID vaccine boosters from Moderna and J&J Enlarge this image toggle caption Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is backing the roll out of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine boosters in line with the Food and Drug Administration's authorizations issued Wednesday. A CDC presentation and draft voting language said that the same vaccine used for initial immunization should be used as a booster dose but that a mix-and-match approach is OK when the primary vaccine isn't available or a different vaccine is preferred. After a brief break late in the deliberations, CDC staff returned with revised voting questions that were neutral on which vaccine should be used as a booster for the J&J and Moderna vaccines. But the vaccine has been less effective overall than the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, so a booster can push protection from the J&J vaccine to a higher level.