U.S. to start offering COVID-19 booster shots to all Americans beginning Sept. 20


The Biden administration is planning to start offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all Americans beginning next month.
Health officials said Wednesday that "we have developed a plan" to begin offering "booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of September 20 and starting 8 months after an individual's second dose." Those Americans who received a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer or Moderna earliest, such as nursing home residents, are expected to be eligible for a booster at that point subject to approval from the FDA and CDC, the announcement said.
Additionally, the health officials said that they anticipate booster shots will "likely" be needed for those who received Johnson & Johnson's single-shot vaccine, though because this vaccine didn't begin to be administered in the United States until March 2021, officials will "keep the public informed with a timely plan for J&J booster shots" after receiving more data in the coming weeks.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The plan comes after the Food and Drug Administration recently approved a booster shot for immunocompromised people amid the spread of the more contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 and amid concerns "that the vaccine may start to wane in its effectiveness," as National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins explained. The health officials said Wednesday the COVID-19 vaccines "continue to be remarkably effective," including against the Delta variant, but data suggests that "current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead." Booster shots, the officials said, will therefore be necessary to "maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'Physicians today have a number of ways of categorizing pain'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Hotel Giardino Ascona: a glorious garden retreat on Lake Maggiore
The Week Recommends Skip over the border from Lake Como for a boutique stay on the shores of Switzerland's less-crowded alternative
-
Elon Musk retires from politics | May 29 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Thursday's political cartoons include SpaceX, One Big Beautiful Bill, couples therapy for Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and a cheaper U.S. penny made in China.
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr.: A new plan for sabotaging vaccines
Feature The Health Secretary announced changes to vaccine testing and asks Americans to 'do your own research'
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments