WA changed who can get a COVID-19 vaccine booster. Here’s what you need to know
Regardless of which primary COVID-19 vaccine they’ve received, certain individuals are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine booster doses, the state Department of Health announced on Friday, Oct. 22.
Previously, only eligible individuals who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series were able to get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose from healthcare providers.
That announcement was made last month. Since then, more than 345,000 additional doses have been given out statewide, according to the state Department of Health. (That figure includes boosters and third doses offered to certain immunocompromised individuals.)
Friday’s update allows for providers to also offer booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines to eligible individuals.
The Department of Health also allowed the “mixing and matching” of boosters, meaning that the booster shot does not have to be the same COVID-19 vaccine type as your first vaccination.
Booster doses are available anywhere COVID-19 vaccines are offered, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
“A booster dose will further protect fully vaccinated individuals by increasing the vaccine’s effectiveness in their bodies, which otherwise may wane over time,” said state Secretary of Health Umair Shah.
The following groups are eligible to receive a booster dose at least six months after completing the primary Pfizer or Moderna series:
▪ Those 65 and older.
▪ Those ages 18 through 64 who live in long-term care settings.
▪ Those ages 18 through 64 who have underlying medical conditions or those at increased risk of social inequities.
▪ Those ages 18 through 64 who work or live in high-risk settings.
All individuals ages 18 and older whose primary vaccine was the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are recommended to receive a booster dose if it has been at least two months since their primary vaccination.
The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccine boosters are full doses, while the Moderna booster is a half dose.
These changes were made following recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup, the news release said.
There are currently plenty of vaccines available statewide for anyone who needs one, the state Department of Health news release said. There have been no reports of people struggling to get boosters in Whatcom County, according to Schuyler Shelloner, communications specialist at the county’s Health Department.
“Our supply seems adequate to meet the demand,” Shelloner said.
The state recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 12 and older and reminds community members that the vaccines are proven to be safe and effective.
To find a nearby vaccine provider, you can visit vaccinelocator.doh.wa.gov or the Whatcom County Health Department’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information webpage.
This story was originally published October 23, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
