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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. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices did not review data on the mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccine products or on 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

The CDC lists underlying and high-risk medical conditions which place adults at increased risk from COVID-19 as follows: Cancer; chronic kidney disease; chronic lung diseases, including COPD, asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension; dementia or other neurological conditions; diabetes; Down syndrome; heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease), cardiomyopathies or hypertension; HIV infection; immunocompromised state (weakened immune system); liver disease; overweight and obesity;  pregnancy; sickle cell disease or thalassemia; smoking, current or former; solid organ or blood stem cell transplant; stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain; and substance use disorders.  

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 individual 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 setting mayreceive a booster shot based on their individual 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 day care 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 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/