From The Tribune Staff Reports
MONTGOMERY — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster dose is now authorized for many people who previously received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine and are at least six months past completion of the primary series. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices did not review data on the mixing and matching COVID-19 vaccine products or Moderna or Johnson & Johnson boosters. Thus the interim guidance from the CDC only applies to individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine as their primary series.
People recommended to receive booster doses are the following:
- Individuals 65 years of age and older should receive a booster shot
- Residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot
- People aged 50-64 with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot
- Other groups of people who may receive booster doses are the following:
- People aged 18-49 with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot based on their benefits and risks
- Individuals 18 through 64 years of age who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional settings may receive a booster shot based on their benefits and risks.
People who are eligible for boosters because of their higher risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to their workplaces or congregate settings may include health care workers, teachers, and daycare staff, grocery workers, and those in homeless shelters or prisons based on their actual risk, for example, if they are around the public.
People seeking booster doses need to determine locations where the Pfizer vaccine is available. County health departments predominantly provide Moderna vaccine at their clinics.
To find a COVID-19 vaccine clinic near you, text your zip code to 438829 or visit https://www.vaccines.gov/.