Should I get a booster? Which is the best one to get? Where can I get one?
Any of the three authorized vaccines in the US — Pfizer/BioNTech’s, Moderna’s or the Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine — may be used for a booster dose for eligible people. But it’s not a complete free-for all. Here are some things to know: Can anyone get a booster now? There are not any booster police, but the CDC and the US Food and Drug Administration have set some eligibility requirements around who should be seeking booster shots. People who got a Pfizer or Moderna series of two shots six months ago or longer may consider getting a booster if they are also: • 65 or older. • At risk of severe Covid-19 from a breakthrough infection because of a medical condition such as diabetes, kidney disease or pregnancy. • At risk because of living conditions or work, so people who work in healthcare, frontline healthcare workers, people living in shelters or incarcerated people. Moderna’s vaccine is given as a half dose for boosters; Pfizer’s is given as a full dose. Anyone who got a Johnson & Johnson shot two months ago or longer is eligible two months after getting the first shot. That’s because the vaccine doesn’t provide as much protection as the other two do, and studies show a booster brings protection up to levels of more than 90%. Federal health officials made a point of urging pregnant women to get a booster. « If you are eligible for a boost and you’re pregnant, you should also get your boost during that period of time. And I would say for nursing (mothers) as well, » CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky told a news conference Friday. And there’s no reason to wait if you are eligible. The booster can be administered along with other shots, such as flu shots or shingles, pneumococcal or other vaccines. Which is the best booster to get? For the most part, it doesn’t matter. Studies indicate it’s all right to mix and match vaccine doses and in some cases it may provide a more powerful boost to get a different vaccine type, but any booster dose will bring immune protection up to very high levels.
