The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine booster dose is now authorized for many people who previously received the two-dose Pfizer vaccine and are at least six months past completion of the primary series. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices did not review data on the mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccine products or on Moderna or Johnson & Johnson boosters, thus the interim guidance from the CDC only applies to individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine as their primary series.
People recommended to receive booster doses are the following:
The CDC lists underlying and high-risk medical conditions which place adults at increased risk from COVID-19 as follows: Cancer; chronic kidney disease; chronic lung diseases, including COPD, asthma, interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension; dementia or other neurological conditions; diabetes; Down syndrome; heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease), cardiomyopathies or hypertension; HIV infection; immunocompromised state (weakened immune system); liver disease; overweight and obesity; pregnancy; sickle cell disease or thalassemia; smoking, current or former; solid organ or blood stem cell transplant; stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain; and substance use disorders.
Other groups of people who may receive booster doses are the following:
County health departments throughout Alabama provide a wide range of confidential and professional services. Contact your local county health department for additional information.
Mission: To promote, protect, and improve Alabama’s health
Vision: Healthy People. Healthy Communities. Healthy Alabama.