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Health officials exploring booster shots for Moderna, Johnson & Johnson

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 7 million people have received a COVID-19 booster shot.

Right now, only Pfizer has been given the green light to offer a booster shot to a specific group, but Moderna and Johnson & Johnson could be coming soon.

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Top health officials are expecting that if those companies get their boosters authorized, it will likely be for the same specific group Pfizer was approved for.

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That group includes people 65 years and older, those in long-term care settings, those who have underlying medical conditions and those who work or live in high-risk settings.

They can get the Pfizer booster six months after their second shot. While the FDA and the CDC are expected to endorse the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna boosters soon, top health officials have suggested that the extra shot will eventually be recommended for most Americans.

READ: Florida reaches 7-day COVID-19 positivity rate below 5% for first time in months

Florida data shows more than 625,000 additional doses have been given.

Moderna said its COVID-19 vaccine booster should contain just half the original dose. The company is is hoping to get a third shot authorized for the same group Pfizer did, and giving that booster six months after the second shot.

Johnson & Johnson said a booster could come at two months or at six months after the shot. The company said they recommend six months, but two months should be an option for those who are high risk.

READ: Orange County Health Department to launch program to randomly test students for COVID-19 at school

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Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.