increased antibody levels in Moderna recipients about as high as a third Moderna shot, the study said.
The researchers cautioned that the findings shouldn’t be used to conclude that any particular combination of vaccines is better, the Times reports.
The study “was not powered or designed to compare between groups,” Dr. Kirsten Lyke, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who presented the data, tells the Times.
And experts note that the preliminary results were short-term findings from small groups of people and focused only on antibody levels — just one measure of the immune response.
RELATED: FDA Panel Recommends Approval of Johnson & Johnson Booster Shot
What’s next for the COVID booster shot?
The issue of COVID-19 booster shots will be addressed by a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Thursday, and that agency will then issue its own recommendations about who should get the extra shots.
A critical question remains: If Moderna is used as a booster for Johnson & Johnson recipients, should it be a half dose of the regular shot — the dosage that will be authorized for Moderna boosters — or should it be a full dose, which was the amount tested in the NIH study, the Washington Post reports.
With the impending decisions from the FDA and CDC, tens of millions more Americans should soon be eligible for booster shots, according to the Times.