CDC Director Endorses Boosters for Some Americans
Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), endorsed a panel of advisers’ recommendations for booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine late last week. The advisers recommended that booster shots “be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents, and those ages 50 to 64 who have… underlying health problems.”
The panel also considered offering the booster shot to people at risk due to their occupation, such as healthcare workers and teachers, but ultimately voted against including them. Walensky went against the panel’s counsel and included adults at risk due to their occupation in her recommendation.
Following Walensky’s endorsement, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) issued a statement about the recommendation. The news release confirms that “federal officials are recommending that Arizonans 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, and those ages 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions get a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine if they are at least six months past their second shot. In addition, CDC guidance says those ages 18 to 64 in high-risk professional and institutional settings and those ages 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions may get a booster dose of Pfizer at least six months after their second shot, based on their individual benefits and risks.”
The release goes on to clarify that the “recommendation involves only those who were vaccinated with the Pfizer/COMIRNATY vaccine. Decisions are pending whether boosters will be recommended for those who received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines.”
Don Herrington, interim director of ADHS, assured Arizonans that there are plenty of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses available in Arizona to accommodate individuals getting a booster shot and those being vaccinated for the first time: “Rest assured there is plenty of Pfizer vaccine in Arizona to accommodate not just those needing booster doses but those who need their first doses… Our primary focus remains helping unvaccinated Arizonans make the lifesaving choice to take advantage of safe, free, and highly effective COVID-19 vaccines.”
Additionally, ADHS encouraged Arizonans seeking guidance on whether they should receive a booster dose at this time to consult with their physician or healthcare provider. Click here to view the full press release.