People ages 50 and older can now receive a second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
Hours after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the second booster, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, issued a statement allowing shots to begin immediately.
“Boosters are safe, and people over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster 4 months after their prior dose to increase their protection further,” Walensky said.
Is it better to get a second booster shot now, or wait until another COVID-19 variant emerges and/or researchers complete clinical trials with updated vaccines?
Why wait? If and when another COVID-19 variant might emerge is impossible to predict. It may or may not ever happen. But waning immunity is real. And it’s happening right now. So, you can still get COVID-19, especially if you’re at high risk. The pandemic isn’t over yet. That’s why I say, do it now. That way, you’ll be as protected as possible if another variant does arise.
- Those interested in getting a booster shot or initial vaccine doses can schedule an appointment through Walgreens here or call 1-800 Walgreens or a local Walgreens store.
- For CVS, appointments can be made here and “are strongly encouraged.” When making an appointment, patients will be asked to provide the manufacturer and date of their last COVID-19 vaccine shot.
“The systems we’ve built and our deep experience in providing vaccinations allows us to play a leading role in administering booster shots to eligible populations,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., MPH, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health. “We also remain focused on providing easy and convenient opportunities for the unvaccinated to receive their first doses.”
Can children get a booster shot?
Children ages 12 and older can get a COVID-19 booster shot. It’s not recommended for this age group to get a second booster unless they are moderately or severely immunocompromised. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine authorized for children ages 12 and older.
Deaths from COVID-19 in the United States are now at their lowest rates, with fewer than 800 deaths per day recorded. Average daily new cases have held at 30,000 per day, and hospitalizations stand at roughly 18,000 per day.
