On Oct. 22, 2021, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it had begun offering Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine booster shots under Emergency Use Authorization, expanding on last September’s authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech booster.

This decision followed the Food and Drug Administration’s authorization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation for a booster dose using the Moderna or J&J vaccines.

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others, may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.