The United States will begin widely distributing COVID-19 booster shots next month and will recommend them for most Americans who received the vaccine, according to several top federal health officials. A joint statement from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky, National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and acting Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Janet Woodcock said people will need boosters starting eight months after they received their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Those who got the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will likely need boosters as well, they said, although more data is needed before making a formal recommendation. The J&J shot uses a more traditional adenovirus mechanism, whereas the Pfizer and Moderna shots use mRNA technology. “The available data make very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins …