Faced with growing worries over a potential winter coronavirus surge, health officials in California and other areas are turbo-charging the push for COVID-19 booster shots in hopes of getting more adults the extra dose as soon as possible.
The move comes amid initial sluggish demand for boosters, which has sparked concern that more people who got their initial vaccinations nearly a year ago will see their immunity wane further into the pivotal holiday season. In California, only 34% of fully vaccinated seniors age 65 and over have received a booster, as have just 14% of fully vaccinated adults.
Federal guidance says any adult can get a booster if they are at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure because of where they work or live.
State and local health officials are urging the public as well as pharmacies, medical centers and other vaccine distributors to take a liberal view of this — meaning that any adults are eligible as long as two months have passed since they got a Johnson & Johnson shot, or at least six months have passed since they received a second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
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