The federal head of health and human services said officials are exploring recommending a booster shot of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for everyone who is already vaccinated while visiting Boston Tuesday.
While attending a COVID-19 roundtable at Lowell General, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said officials were looking at recommending booster shots as coronavirus cases increase due to the Delta variant.
“We are in the process of exploring that, so stay tuned,” Becerra said.
Officials have expected to approve boosters for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine but the CDC is waiting on the results from clinical trials. But reports have indicated officials will recommend extra doses people who received the other vaccines as well, beyond last week’s recommendation of boosters for people with weakened immune systems.
If boosters are recommended for the state’s 4.1 million residents who have been vaccinated so far, state officials said mass vaccination sites won’t be needed.
“Once the federal government formally puts out boosters, we’re ready,” said state HHS Secretary Marylou Sudders.
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