COVID-19 Booster Shot Eligibility Expands

The U.S. C.D.C. Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., announced on October 21, 2021, her endorsement and approval of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP) recommendation for a booster shot COVID-19 vaccines in specific populations.

There are now booster recommendations for all three COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States.

Available data shows that all three of the COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized in the U.S. continue to be highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

For over 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those 18 and older and vaccinated two or more months ago.

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) or Moderna (SpikeVax) COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at six months or more after their initial series:

• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

Dr. Walensky stated in a press release, "The evidence shows that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe – as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given."

"And, they are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even amid the widely circulating Delta variant."

The ACIP recommendation for use is an important step forward as it works to stay ahead of the mutating SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and keep Americans safe.