Several drugstore chains across the U.S. now say they are offering second COVID-19 booster shots to eligible individuals, after U.S. health officials authorized a double dose of Pfizer’s and Moderna’s boosters for people 50 and older.
Covid-19 case numbers are rising again in 13 U.S. states as the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron takes hold, leading health experts to recommend an additional dose for older or immune-compromised individuals.
Can people who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine get a second booster?
People who received initial doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can receive a second booster dose, Nordlund said. The J&J vaccine was initially a one-shot vaccine, though studies suggested that two doses were needed to provide the same protection as the other two authorized vaccines.
J&J recipients have been eligible since last fall to get a second shot, and the CDC recommended they receive an mRNA vaccine for their second dose. They can receive a third shot, with either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, Nordlund said.
Can pregnant people get a second booster?
Only people over 12 moderately or severely immunocompromised are eligible for a second booster dose, the CDC says.
Although the agency considers pregnancy an underlying condition, pregnant people are not considered immunocompromised and are not eligible for the second booster dose if they’re under the age of 50.
Will a second COVID-19 booster shot be needed for everyone eventually?
A second booster dose may eventually be needed for everyone for the same reason a first booster shot was recommended last fall and winter: to prolong protective immunity when there’s concern it may be waning.
There’s no immediate concern of this in young, healthy people right now, though — many of whom likely also had confirmed omicron infections recently.
Still, as we’ve seen time and time again during this pandemic, the situation could change.
The BA.2 “stealth” omicron variant is predicted to cause an uptick in COVID-19 cases, but it’s not expected to cause another full-blown surge like we saw this winter with the BA.1 variant.
CVS said that eligible patients can schedule an additional dose four months after their initial booster at CVS.com, MinuteClinic.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app. Same-day or walk-in vaccination appointments may be possible, CVS said, but subject to local demand.
