Getting a COVID-19 booster shot just got a lot easier for millions of Americans.
Now, all adults who received either the Pfizer or Moderna series six months ago are eligible – and encouraged – to get a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
For nearly two months, people who received the Pfizer vaccine and were at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection or exposed as part of their job or living situation have been receiving booster doses. Last month, eligibility was extended to those in the same risk categories who received the Moderna vaccine initially. At that time, Johnson & Johnson booster doses also were approved for anyone who had received the initial Johnson & Johnson dose, as long as two months had passed.
As data continues to come in from people who have received boosters, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, said there is a reason that the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) unanimously expanded its recommendations to include all adults.
"Booster shots have demonstrated the ability to safely increase people’s protection against infection and severe outcomes and are an important public health tool to strengthen our defenses against the virus as we enter the winter holidays," Dr. Walensky said. "Based on the compelling evidence, all adults over 18 should now have equitable access to a COVID-19 booster dose."
Rick Starlin, MD, an infectious diseases physician and medical director of Nebraska Medicine Employee Health, supports giving booster doses to all adults who have met the time requirement, and also urges people who haven’t gotten vaccinated at all to get their first dose as soon as possible.
"Vaccination is the best tool we have to stop the spread of COVID-19," he said. "We encourage everyone to start the series if not vaccinated, or to get boosters of have received the initial vaccinations."
Nebraska Medicine is administering COVID-19 vaccines for patients at pharmacy and clinic locations. For more information or to schedule a dose, visit NebraskaMed.com/vaccine.
Will the Covid 1-app be updated to allow for a booster dose on the vaccination card page, and ability to put in two photos as my sticker was placed on the reverse side of my card. Thank you.
Thanks, Robin. The most recent app version allows users to upload their booster information. Click the "vaccine card" banner on the top right of the screen and then click "update card". Take a new photo and add the additional booster information.
Uploading more than one photo is an option for a future app update.