School, college and other closings for Monday

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The period between getting the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and the first booster shot has been shortened to five months from six for people ages 18 and up, the Food and Drug Administration says.

 is spreading rapidly around the country and immunity from the first round of vaccines is fading. Over the weekend, 

 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with COVID-19.

"Vaccination is our best defense against COVID-19, including the circulating variants, and shortening the length of time between completion of a primary series and a booster dose may help reduce waning immunity," said Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, in a statement.

Marks also said the change in wait time provides some consistency among some of the vaccines. On Monday, the FDA shortened the interval between the second Pfizer dose and booster to 

 as well. For those who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the time between getting the vaccine and booster remains at two months.

Moderna's first booster shot's efficacy is expected to last through the winter, the company's CEO said at a health care conference hosted by Goldman Sachs on Thursday, but by next fall the protection may start to dip again and a fourth shot of the vaccine would be necessary.

"I would expect that it's not going to hold great. ... I worry about next fall," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said. 

Health

COVID-19

Deepa Shivaram

Author

Now, both the Pfizer and the Moderna booster shots can be given five months after the second dose of vaccine — down from six months.  

FDA shortens the wait time between Moderna vaccine and booster to 5 months

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox