“We know booster shots play an important role in the fight against COVID-19, and we’re still in the midst of a pandemic. Vaccine efficacy may diminish over time with the potential risk for increased susceptibility to breakthrough infections.”ĬOVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Colorado remain very high, prompting Barron and others to urge people to get initial vaccines immediately and booster doses as soon as people are eligible. Michelle Barron, senior medical director of infection prevention at UCHealth: And, they are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even in the midst of the widely circulating Delta variant,” Walensky said in an October 21 statement, hours after a CDC advisory panel unanimously endorsed new booster recommendations.Īdded Dr. The evidence shows that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe – as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given. “These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19. Health experts agree that the best way to end the pandemic as soon as possible is for all eligible unvaccinated people to get their first doses of vaccines as soon as possible. ( Learn more about getting COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses.)īut, broad availability of COVID-19 booster shots will help drive down infections, He’s eager to encourage everyone to stay healthy and get vaccinated. Mike recently won the Boston Marathon in his age group. Mike and Nannette Wien pose after getting their booster shots at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.
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They can do what’s most convenient and easiest for them.įor individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series: Similarly, people who received doses of Moderna or Pfizer for their initial two doses may also get a different brand for their booster dose.
#What is a booster shot free#
If those who got the single-dose J & J vaccine now want to pump up their immunities with an mRNA dose from Moderna or Pfizer, they are free to do so. And, Americans are free to make their own choices about mixing and matching the types of vaccines that they receive. The new rules pave the way for J & J recipients to finally get booster doses.
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Rochelle Walensky, head of the CDC, on Thursday night endorsed the guidance that medical experts at both the CDC and FDA had recommended. They’re now eligible for a booster if it has been at least 6 months since they completed the AZ vaccine 2-shot series.ĭr. In Colorado, a few thousand people participated in an Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine trial. Booster doses two months after a J & J vaccine or six months or longer after two initial doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines can jumpstart vaccine efficacy, bringing it back up to remarkably-protective levels of about 95%.
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Research shows that COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths, but the effectiveness of vaccines wanes over time. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized mix-and-match vaccines and provided long-awaited guidance to people who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccines. now may get COVID-19 booster vaccine doses after leaders of the U.S. COVID-19 booster shots are available to millions more people now.