White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci says the federal definition of 'fully vaccinated' will remain the same as booster shots become widely available and this year's COVID-19 death toll grows to more than twice last year's.
'Fully vaccinated right now, by definition, is the original two doses with the MRNA and the Pfizer and Moderna and a single dose with J&J,' Fauci said Sunday on ABC's This Week.
The health official clarified the term as the governors of Connecticut and Massachusetts say they now consider an extra shot, given two to six months after the initial course - to be necessary for full protection.
'We're going to see what the durability of that protection is, and as we always do, you just follow and let the data guide your policy and let the data guide your recommendations,' Fauci added.
His comments come as COVID-19's death toll surpasses last year's by more than double - topping 770,800 on Saturday compared to last year's total of 385,343.
White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci says 'fully vaccinated' still means just two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines or one of the Johnson & Johnson shot
Boosters shots were approved for everyone over 18 on Friday. Pfizer's booster is a third dose, while Moderna's is a half-dose. The Johnson & Johnson booster is one extra shot
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control formally recommended booster shots for everyone over the age of 18.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health found that there were no safety concerns with mix-and-match booster approaches, meaning J&J recipients can safely get an MRNA vaccine booster.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted 11-0 that those aged 18 to 49 'may' get a booster, while those aged 50 and older 'should' get a booster. The FDA authorized the shots on the same day.
Pfizer's booster shot is a third dose of a two-shot vaccine and Moderna's is half the dose. The Johnson & Johnson booster is an extra shot of the single-dose vaccine.
Those who got an MRNA
