Booster shots are now available for those who have received the COVID-19 vaccines created by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, including those who live and work at our Lynden health care center.
In October, the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, which advises the governors of Washington, California, Oregon and Nevada, announced that it supports recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Moderna and J&J booster shots.
This is in addition to the September recommendation for booster shots for those who have received the Pfizer vaccine.
That means that everyone who has been fully vaccinated with any of the three COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized for use in the United States are now eligible for a booster dose.
According to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s office, those who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to receive a booster dose six months or more after their initial series, while those who received the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to receive a booster dose two months or more after their initial dose.
“The COVID vaccines continue to offer very strong protection against severe illness and death and are saving lives every day,” Inslee said in a press release. “Now people who qualify to get a booster don’t have to be restricted to one brand of vaccine. They are able to get whichever is available to them and is best for them. This is a critical factor in finding our way out of this pandemic.”
Booster shots are recommended, the CDC said, because public health experts are starting to see reduced protection from the original vaccines against mild and moderate disease.
Everyone 18 or older who received the J&J vaccine should get a booster, according to the recommendations. Among those who initially received the Moderna vaccine, a booster is recommended for a narrower list of people, including those who live in long-term care and those who are at greater risk of COVID-19 exposure because of where they work. CHCC staff members would fall into that category.
The CDC’s guidance is that anyone eligible for a booster may receive either the same or a different COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose.
More information on booster shots is available from the CDC.