Finally, Everyone 18 and Over Can Get a Quick Shot
The FDA today authorized the Moderna and Pfizer boosters for everyone ages 18 and older , and the CDC’s advisory group has provided guidelines for choosing an appropriate fit. Bottom line, if you held on because you weren’t sure if you were eligible, now you definitely have permission to go and get it. The only requirement is that at least six months have passed since the second dose was taken.
(If, by the way, you were given the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you were already eligible for the booster shot. This is two months after your initial dose, not six.)
The current recommendation – pending an official message from the CDC that should come at any minute – is that you should get a booster shot if you are at least 50 or if you live in a long-term care facility. Everyone else can get a booster if they are over 18 years old.
Previously, if you were at least 50, you could get a booster shot if you have a medical condition that is on this CDC list . This includes people with mood disorders, people who have ever had a smoking habit, and people who are considered overweight by their BMI, so many people are eligible for a booster dose based on a condition on this list. Fortunately, you no longer have to worry about what’s on the list or whether your condition matches.
Another change is that previously, people between the ages of 18 and 49 were included in the “can” group only if they had one of these conditions or if they lived or worked at an increased risk of transmission. Otherwise, adults in this group were generally not eligible for revaccination.
Part of the reason for today’s changes is that the evidence for boosters has become clearer, but another important reason is simply to clear up the confusion. An awful lot of Americans under the age of 65 were in one of the previously eligible groups, but according to surveys, many people didn’t know if they met the criteria. It’s much easier now: if you’re an adult, you can get a booster shot six months after the second dose.