So, who can get which booster shots now? Here's a quick guide
The booster shots to further vaccinate against COVID-19 that have been administered recently are only Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine, but demand is expected to rise in the coming days after federal regulators' approval of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters.
In the wake of that announcement, officials from several national pharmacy chains, like CVS and Walgreens, announced Friday they are taking appointments for boosters of all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So who is eligible for which booster shots? Here's a quick guide based on CDC guidelines:
If you were vaccinated with Pfizer or Moderna:
• Everyone 65 and older is eligible.
• So are people 18 and older who live in long-term care facilities.
• And those 18 and older with high-risk medical conditions.
• And those 18 and older who work or live in a high-risk setting.
• They can get Pfizer, Moderna or J&J boosters.
• Six months after the second dose.
If you were vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson:
• Everyone 18 and older is eligible.
• Two months after their first dose.
• They can get Pfizer, Moderna or J&J boosters.
“Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose,” the CDC guidance says. “Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster.”
To make an appointment for a booster shot at CVS, visit their website cvs.com. For appointments at a Walgreens, visit walgreens.com.
A government-operated website called vaccines.gov allows you to find vaccination sites anywhere in the country as well.
In addition to the demand for boosters, the Pfizer vaccine is expected to be approved for children from ages 5 to 11 early next month. A recent Pfizer report showed the vaccine to be 91% effective in that age group.