An Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Pause, Variants, and Booster Shots

Pharmaceutical companies have already begun developing these boosters, and Haydock said he expects to see some variant-specific vaccines available by mid-2021.

In a recent interview with Pharmacy Times, Michael Haydock, senior director of cardiovascular, metabolic, and infectious diseases content at Informa Pharma Intelligence, discussed recent developments in COVID-19 vaccines and how the pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine could impact the pandemic.

Haydock said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is facing the same blood clot issues as the AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe, and the biggest hurdle caused by the pause in vaccinations could be younger adults’ hesitancy to receive them. Young adults already feel more protected from COVID-19, so any further concerns around vaccines could result in lower vaccination rates among this population.

Haydock also discussed COVID-19 variants and the potential need for boosters, saying that follow-up shots will definitely be necessary in the future. He added that pharmaceutical companies have already begun developing these boosters, and he expects to see some variant-specific vaccines available by mid-2021.