Booster doses of Moderna, Johnson & Johnson vaccines now available for some

Idaho Department of Health and Welfare supports authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to administer booster doses of the of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.

Booster doses of those vaccines are available now for those individuals, in addition to booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine the agencies approved last month.

For those who received the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least six months earlier, the following groups are eligible for a booster dose:

• People 65 and older
• Residents of long-term care facilities
• People 50-64 with underlying medical conditions
• People 18-49 with underlying medical conditions, based on individual benefit and risk
• People 18-64 at an increased risk of exposure and transmission due to the type of work they do (including teachers and healthcare workers) or because they live or work in an institutional setting

A booster dose also is recommended for those who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, are 18 or older, and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

Booster doses are available now at pharmacies, clinics, and healthcare providers statewide. Booster doses will not be available to the general public at local hospitals. Use the Vaccine Finder https://www.vaccines.gov/search/ for more information about vaccine locations, the vaccine brands available, and walk-in or scheduling details. Neither proof of eligibility nor a prescription is required, and all doses of the vaccine are free of charge to the person getting the booster dose.

The CDC's final recommendations are available at https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p1021-covid-booster.html