The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have announced recommendations for COVID-19 booster shots. Under these recommendations, which have also been approved by the Oregon Health Authority, the following groups qualify for booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months after their second shot:
- People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster.
- People ages 50 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster.
- People ages 18 to 49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster.
- People ages 18 to 64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of an occupational or institutional setting that puts them at higher risk may receive a booster. (This includes health care workers and teachers, for example.)
While the Moderna vaccine has been authorized for a third dose for immunocompromised patients, boosters for the groups described above have only been authorized for the Pfizer vaccine. Neither third doses nor boosters have been authorized for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. This means only people in these groups who have also received the two-dose series of Pfizer vaccine qualify for a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine. Pfizer boosters may not be given to those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
Samaritan will join the Linn County Department of Health to host mass vaccination events every Tuesday and Wednesday through the end of October from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. These events will be located at Linn County Fair/Expo Center, 3700 Knox Butte Road E in Albany. The first and second doses can be scheduled as well as the third and booster doses for qualified individuals. All three vaccine types are available. Vaccination events in Benton and Lincoln counties will be announced soon.
You can stay up to date about vaccination recommendations, vaccination events and other options for where to get vaccinated at samhealth.org/GetTheVaccine.