2nd Dose of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine Gives Stronger Protection, Company Says

A member of the Philadelphia Fire Department prepares a dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site setup in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 26, 2021. Matt Rourke/AP Photo

A booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine gives elevated protection against the virus that causes COVID-19, the company said Tuesday.

Johnson & Johnson said data from a Phase 3 clinical trial its researchers are helping run showed that a second shot of its vaccine provides 75 percent protection against symptomatic COVID-19 globally, and 94 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19 in the United States.