Covid vaccine boosters are now available. Here’s who qualifies for images from Pfizer, Moderna and J&J
A patient receives a coronavirus (COVID-19) booster vaccine during a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination in Southfield, Michigan, USA, September 29, 2021.
Emily Elkonin | Reuters
Nearly 100 million people nationwide are eligible for an immediate Covid vaccination after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorized additional doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines on Thursday night.
The agency’s solution also allows fully immunized people to mix their boosters with doses from different manufacturers after research from the National Institutes of Health showed it was safe and effective to mix and match vaccines. The Pfizer and BioNTech boosters received widespread US approval on September 24th.
About 11.6 million people across the country have already received their boosters, and CDC approval has opened them up to tens of millions of others. But not everyone is eligible. Here are those who are allowed to receive additional doses in the United States based on their first round of vaccinations:
Pfizer-BioNTech
More than 47 million Pfizer vaccine recipients who received both shots at least six months ago were eligible for a booster shot on Friday, according to data presented Thursday in front of the CDC’s advisory committee. This includes:
- Anyone 65 years of age or older.
- All adults between the ages of 18 and 64 with cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and other conditions that increase the likelihood of Covid complications.
- A person 18 years of age or older who lives or works in a long-term care facility, homeless shelter, prison, or other congregation.
- Operational personnel aged 18 and over who are at a higher risk of contracting Covid due to their work, including emergency responders, teachers, supermarket employees, and public transport personnel.
Moderna
More than 39.1 million Moderna vaccine recipients who received both shots at least six months ago were eligible for a booster shot on Friday, according to a CDC presentation. The CDC has adopted the same criteria for Moderna recipients as Pfizer, as both companies use the same mRNA technology in their Covid vaccines. They include.
- Anyone 65 years of age or older.
- All adults between the ages of 18 and 64 with cancer, dementia, diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and other conditions that increase the likelihood of Covid complications.
- A person 18 years of age or older who lives or works in a long-term care facility, homeless shelter, prison, or other congregation.
- Operational personnel aged 18 and over who are at a higher risk of contracting Covid due to their work, including emergency responders, teachers, supermarket employees, and public transport personnel.
Johnson and Johnson
The CDC has adopted slightly different criteria for J&J’s single-dose Covid vaccine, resulting in nearly 13 million recipients meeting the criteria as of Friday. This includes
- All adults who were vaccinated with J & J’s Covid at least two months ago instead of six months with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
- All adult J&J recipients are eligible for booster vaccinations, even if they have no underlying medical conditions, work in a profession, or live where there is a higher risk of contracting Covid.
Source link
