Rising Cases of Omicron Variant Prompts Discussion on COVID-19 Boosters among Experts

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have made significant updates to the COVID-19 vaccine guidelines.

On January 5, 2022, the CDC updated its guidance on COVID-19 boosters due to broader FDA authorization. All U.S. adults are now eligible for COVID vaccine boosters, and the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID booster is now authorized for adolescents aged 12 to 15 years old.

The FDA amended the emergency use authorizations of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. The Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna COVID boosters are preferred, but the Johnson & Johnson booster may be considered in some situations.

The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID booster is now recommended to be given five months after completion of the primary vaccine series, instead of six. If it has been more than six months since your original vaccination, boosting during pregnancy is very reasonable.

The CDC also recommends a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for some immunocompromised children ages 5-11. If you have difficulty locating a place to get a booster, contact your primary care provider who will be able to further direct you.

While being fully vaccinated is very effective at preventing severe illness and death, it is still important to continue wearing a mask in public indoor settings, especially in areas with high COVID transmission. The best tool to end the pandemic is vaccination, but it is likely that transmission will continue with intermittent surges, and the emergence of new variants of concern will determine if and when another booster dose is needed.

The side effects of COVID boosters are similar to those associated with the original shots, and myocarditis remains very rare for both the primary series and boosters of the mRNA vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech. The CDC recommends waiting three to six months for a booster dose after recovering from a COVID infection, but it is safe to obtain a booster dose as early as two weeks after full resolution of symptoms.

UR Medicine patients can schedule a COVID booster appointment through their MyChart account, or find COVID vaccine and booster clinics near them on the Finger Lakes COVID-19 Vaccine Hub website or this resource page from the CDC.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 booster vaccines for adults aged 18 and older on November 19, 2021. The CDC now recommends that anyone 12 and older get a COVID booster - either five months after completing the Moderna or Pfizer primary COVID vaccine series or two months after getting the Johnson & Johnson shot.

Rising Cases of Omicron Variant Prompts Discussion on COVID-19 Boosters among Experts