The Biden administration announced plans Wednesday to begin rolling out COVID-19 booster shots starting Sept. 20 for Americans who received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

The administration unveiled that the booster shot would be administered eight months after individuals become fully vaccinated. Many health care workers and nursing home residents who were the first ones to receive the vaccines will be eligible for the booster shot in the fall.

The Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health officials, said in a joint statement “that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability."

"Based on our latest assessment, the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout," the statement read.

Officials say they also expect to authorize a booster shot for those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. They are waiting for more data on the effectiveness of that vaccine in the coming weeks.

The FDA authorized those with weakened immune systems to get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 13 but needed to be signed off by the CDC in order to administer the boosters, CBS News noted.

This final joint statement released Wednesday is a key development for many high-risk individuals who remain vulnerable as the Delta variant makes it harder to completely stop the spread of the virus.

People with weakened immune systems — about 3% of the U.S. population — do not always get the same protection as otherwise healthy people and a third dose could be the solution to their higher vulnerability.

Many retailers are already administering the booster shot to immunocompromised persons, including CVS, Meijer, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, and Walmart.

RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus Pfizer CDC