Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the US President's chief medical adviser, said on Sunday that the data needed to determine the advisability of booster shots of the Moderna Inc (Nasdaq:MRNA) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) COVID-19 vaccines is just weeks away, Reuters news agency reported on Monday.

On 17 September 2021, a US Food and Drug Administration advisory panel had recommended a third shot of the two-dose Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/BioNTech (Nasdaq:BNTX) COVID-19 vaccine for people age 65 and older or at high risk of severe COVID-19, but declined to endorse boosters for the wider population.

People who have received the two-dose Moderna vaccine or one-dose J&J vaccine are still awaiting guidance on possible booster shots.

Dr Fauci added that more data may also show a broader need for booster shots across the general US population.

Health officials reportedly indicated that they expected boosters would ultimately be recommended for a broad range of the population, but urged Americans not to seek booster doses until FDA approval is received.