Tens of thousands of Mississippians who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible for a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine to help increase their protection against the virus. 

There are three groups of people now eligible to receive a booster shot at least six months after receiving their second dose.

• People aged 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings
• People aged 18-64 years with certain underlying medical conditions
• People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional settings

In Mississippi, booster shots are now available at all county health departments. Appointments can be made online at https://covidvaccine.umc.edu or by calling the Mississippi Department of Health COVID-19 hotline at 877-978-6453.

Boosters for these groups were recommended by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Sept. 24.

Regulators have not yet made additional recommendations about booster shots for those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. Moderna has applied for Food and Drug Administration authorization of booster shots, and the FDA is leaning towards authorizing half-dose booster shots, according to a report from Bloomberg. Johnson & Johnson has not submitted an application for boosters of its single-dose vaccine to the FDA, but has reported studies that show a second dose significantly increases the vaccine’s efficacy.

In August, FDA made a small number of people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients, who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines eligible for a third shot. These shots must be received at least four weeks after a second dose, and are not boosters, but instead a necessary component of immunization for these individuals. 

READ MORE: Mississippi Today’s Vaccine Guide

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COVID-19 Boosters: Who’s eligible and how to get one

by Will Stribling, Mississippi Today
September 30, 2021

<h1>COVID-19 Boosters: Who’s eligible and how to get one</h1> <p class="byline">by Will Stribling, Mississippi Today <br />September 30, 2021</p> <p>Tens of thousands of Mississippians who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 are now eligible for a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine to help increase their protection against the virus. </p> <p>There are three groups of people now eligible to receive a booster shot at least six months after receiving their second dose.</p> <ul> <li>People aged 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings</li> <li>People aged 18-64 years with certain underlying medical conditions</li> <li>People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional settings</li> </ul> <p>In Mississippi, booster shots are now available at all county health departments. Appointments can be made online at <a href="https://covidvaccine.umc.edu">https://covidvaccine.umc.edu</a> or by calling the Mississippi Department of Health COVID-19 hotline at 877-978-6453.</p> <p>Boosters for these groups were recommended by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee on Sept. 24.</p> <p>Regulators have not yet made additional recommendations about booster shots for those who received the Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines. Moderna has applied for Food and Drug Administration authorization of booster shots, and the FDA is leaning towards authorizing half-dose booster shots, according to a report from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-29/fda-leans-toward-authorizing-moderna-booster-at-a-half-dose">Bloomberg</a>. Johnson &amp; Johnson has not submitted an application for boosters of its single-dose vaccine to the FDA, but has reported studies that show a <a href="https://www.jnj.com/johnson-johnson-announces-real-world-evidence-and-phase-3-data-confirming-strong-and-long-lasting-protection-of-single-shot-covid-19-vaccine-in-the-u-s">second dose</a> significantly increases the vaccine’s efficacy.</p> <p>In August, FDA made a small number of people with weakened immune systems, such as cancer patients and organ transplant recipients, who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines eligible for a third shot. These shots must be received at least four weeks after a second dose, and are not boosters, but instead a necessary component of immunization for these individuals.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>READ MORE: </strong><a href="https://mississippitoday.org/covid-19-vaccine-guide-mississippi/">Mississippi Today's Vaccine Guide</a></p> <p>This <a target="_blank" href="https://mississippitoday.org/2021/09/30/covid-19-boosters-whos-eligible-and-how-to-get-one/">article</a> first appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://mississippitoday.org">Mississippi Today</a> and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.<img src="https://i1.wp.com/mississippitoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/MT_square-thumb.jpg?fit=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1" style="width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;"><img id="republication-tracker-tool-source" src="https://mississippitoday.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=1015697&ga=UA-75003810-1" style="width:1px;height:1px;"></p>

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