Collin County Health Care Services (CCHCS) wants to stress that COVID-19 booster shot information is evolving daily, and we will continue to update information here as it becomes available from State and Federal health authorities.
What we do know right now is:
- Like the initial vaccines, booster shots will be free;
- On Oct. 20, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued booster recommendations for all three available COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a "mix-and-match" booster dose;
- You will be able to get your dose from any provider offering it (here's a search tool for finding one);
- On Nov. 19, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUA) for both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines authorizing use of a single booster dose for all individuals 18 years of age and older after completion of primary vaccination with any FDA-authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. The Center for Disease Control's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) confirmed the authorization and updated its recommendations to confirm the expanded use of booster shots for individuals 18 and older.
Who is Eligible right now?
All adults, ages 18 and older, who received an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine be eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot 6 months after completing the primary vaccine series. All vaccine providers may begin providing those booster doses immediately.
As a reminder, people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine were already eligible for a booster two months after their vaccine dose. Regardless of which vaccine people got for their primary series, they may choose any authorized vaccine for their booster.
Who Needs an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine?
Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
Appointments for the additional dose will only be made for individuals that fit these requirements. People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
For additional information from the CDC regarding COVID-19 boosters, please see the following article: COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People
Important links
COVID-19 Reporting for Collin County and Texas
