The committee may still recommend the shots. The effectiveness of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has long been lower than that of the two-dose mRNA vaccines made by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech, and vaccine experts have said that the 15 million people in the United States who have received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot are likely in need of additional protection.
Also on the schedule is a discussion of a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health that found Johnson & Johnson recipients may benefit more from a booster dose of the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Preliminary data from the study — testing a strategy known as “mix and match” — showed that those who got a Johnson & Johnson shot followed by a Moderna booster saw their antibody levels rise 76-fold within 15 days, whereas those who received another dose of Johnson & Johnson saw only a fourfold rise in the same period. A Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot raised antibody levels in Johnson & Johnson recipients 35-fold.
“At the end of the day, folks having the Johnson & Johnson should probably get an mRNA booster,” said Scott Hensley, an immunologist at the University of Pennsylvania. “It’s just a matter of, how much data does the F.D.A. need before making that recommendation?”
“I wouldn’t want to be in their shoes,” he added.
In its analysis this week, the F.D.A. did see a potential improvement in protection from a Johnson & Johnson booster given two months after the first shot, based on a large trial sponsored by the company.