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Fauci: J&J vaccine 'very likely' should have been 2 doses from the start

Fauci
Posted at 6:44 PM, Oct 17, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-17 18:44:18-04

Recipients of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine should not be concerned about the shot's lower efficacy now that boosters have been approved, White House chief medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told ABC “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz.

"I think that they should feel good about it because what the advisers to the FDA felt is that given the data that they saw, very likely this should have been a two-dose vaccine to begin with," he said Sunday.

The FDA vaccine advisory panel unanimously approved booster shots for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Friday.

The panel recommended all J&J recipients 18 years and older to get an additional jab as early as two months after the first dose -- key differences from their recommendations for the Moderna and Pfizer boosters which were only for Americans 65 and older or in higher-risk groups.