COVID-19 Booster Shot Or Third Dose? Here's The Difference

NEW JERSEY — The first round of COVID-19 booster shots is expected to be available in New Jersey Sept. 20, but some residents may be questioning why a third dose is already available to some.

Gov. Phil Murphy clarified some of those questions this week when he clarified that the third doses currently being administered are for those who are immunocompromised. It is the same as the doses that were administered in the first two rounds. The upcoming booster shots are for anyone who is not immunocompromised.

“A booster shot ensures the immune system remains in a strong and aggressive defensive position against the coronavirus should it find its way in,” Murphy said. “We are learning that the protection offered by the initial doses slowly wanes. This booster gets us back to that 90+ percent level of full protection.”

It may also provide some protection against some of the variants, Rachel Honrychs of the Camden County Health Department said in a separate news conference this week. However, nothing has been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) yet.

Pfizer recently told Medical News Today that it is exploring ways to update its booster shots to protect against the delta variant specifically. Moderna also said its booster shot could “keep the delta variant at bay.”

It is also not yet known how long after the second dose a resident should get their booster shot, as estimates have ranged from anywhere between six and eight months.

If the six-month window is recommended by the CDC, Murphy said as of Sept. 20, 2.4 million New Jersey residents will become eligible for the booster shot. Read more here: COVID Booster Shot Could Be Available In 3 Weeks In NJ

“If you’re preparing to get a booster shot, we’re awaiting final recommendations from the CDC, and we’ll have more information regarding when you can get your next dose as soon as we can,” Murphy said.

As of Thursday, 5,610,433 individuals who live, work, or study in New Jersey have been fully vaccinated.

More than 4,000 New Jersey residents who are immunocompromised - which includes people with a range of conditions, including recipients of organ or stem-cell transplants, people with advanced or untreated HIB infection, active recipients of cancer treatment and people taking medications that weaken the immune system - have received their third dose.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone.