TAMPA, Fla — The Johnson and Johnson vaccine, currently being administered under emergency use authorization, shared new data backing a booster shot.
"In reality, this is good data," said Dr. Jill Roberts, a professor at the College of Public Health at USF. "The amount of antibody response they got off that booster is really high!"
That new data shows a nine-fold increase in antibody response from the booster shot, compared to receiving just the initial dose.
10 Tampa Bay talked with people that got their J&J vaccines about the hesitancy surrounding a booster and the experiences they faced with their initial dose.
Paul Schaller, a Land O'Lakes resident is currently recovering from COVID-19.
"My experience so far has not been very positive," said Schaller. "Being the fact that I got vaccinated, then 3 weeks later, I contracted COVID."
Schaller has received the monoclonal antibody treatment but said it hasn't improved his symptoms.
"[I have a] very congested head," he said. "Sometimes, I have a hard time breathing, I have asthma, very tired and fatigued. Very uncharacteristic of me, but I take a few naps a day. And no sense of taste or smell."
Schaller said he was very hesitant of getting the vaccine, and opted for the J&J because it was only one dose. Now hearing that boosters may be needed, he's not yet sure if he's on board.
"I'm on the fence about that, I don't know," said Schaller. "It's going to depend on how I feel down the road when I get rid of what I'm dealing with now."
For Skip Selle, a St. Petersburg resident, he's all in.
"It's not going to hurt me, and the first one, I had no problems from," said Selle. "And I'm confident it'll help me."
With the delta variant impacting both vaccinated and unvaccinated people, Selle said he looks to the science when making choices about vaccines.
"A lot better with it than without it, for sure," said Selle. "When it's time for me to go get mine, I'll go get it."
Now, what does this new data mean in regards to FDA approval? Dr. Roberts said it could help the pharmaceutical company in its path to approval.
"This data actually lends itself towards getting that full approval because it makes J&J look like an even better vaccine than it did in the first place," said Dr. Robert.
The data comes from J&J's phase two trial. Dr. Roberts believes it's likely their next step will be a bigger trial with more participants.