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Here’s what you need to know about the Pfizer booster shot for COVID-19

The official decision from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes a few days after the Food and Drug Administration approved a booster dose of the shot for certain groups.

Updated 11:20 a.m. Sept. 28: Revised to include additional information.

The country’s top public health officials have approved a plan for certain groups to receive a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 shot, paving the way for millions of Americans to begin getting a third dose of the vaccine.

The official decision from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came a few days after the Food and Drug Administration approved a booster dose of the shot for certain groups, and weeks after confusing messaging about additional doses.

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So, who is recommended to get a booster shot and when can you get one? Here’s what you need to know.

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How was the booster dose approved?

The CDC and the FDA both backed booster shots for immunocompromised individuals earlier this month. Those recommendations were expanded this week to include other groups who may be at high risk.

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On Sept. 22, the FDA extended the emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech to include a third dose for people 65 and older, people 18 through 64 who are at a high risk of severe COVID-19 infection, and people 18 through 64 who work in settings that put them at a high risk of getting COVID-19.

The FDA said booster doses should be administered at least six months after a person gets their second dose.

The C.D.C.’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which reviews data on COVID-19 shots and makes public health recommendations, initially voted to recommend booster shots only to the first two groups.

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But the center’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, announced hours later that the CDC’s recommendation was in line with the FDA’s approval.

“As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact.,” Walensky said in a written statement. “At CDC, we are tasked with analyzing complex, often imperfect data to make concrete recommendations that optimize health. In a pandemic, even with uncertainty, we must take actions that we anticipate will do the greatest good.”

Why is a booster shot needed?

Studies have shown that the protection provided by the COVID-19 vaccine may wane over time, the CDC says.

While the vaccine still provides strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death, some evidence shows that over time, it doesn’t protect as well against mild and moderate illness in some populations. The CDC said there is also emerging evidence of waning protection among health care and frontline workers.

The waning protection may be a result of the amount of time that has passed since vaccination, as well as the highly contagious delta variant, the CDC says.

Who is now eligible for a booster, and when?

People 65 years and older, residents of long-term care facilities and people aged 50 to 64 with underlying health conditions should get a booster shot, the CDC says.

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People aged 18 to 49 with underlying health conditions, as well as people aged 18 to 64 who are at an increased risk of getting infected with COVID-19 because of their occupational or institutional setting, may also get a third dose of the Pfizer shot.

People considered at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection include first responders, education staff, food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, people who work in correctional facilities, U.S. Postal Service workers, public transit workers and grocery store workers, the CDC said.

For all groups, the booster is recommended at least six months after the second dose of the vaccine is given.

When can I get a booster dose?

President Joe Biden previously said that booster doses would be available beginning Sept. 20 for nearly all Americans eight months after their second shot.

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The White House detailed its booster shot plan at a press briefing on Sept. 24.

Where can I get a booster shot?

Dr. Philip Huang, the director of Dallas County’s health department, previously told The Dallas Morning News that the county is planning to give out booster doses as soon as they are recommended for widespread use.

Collin and Tarrant counties previously said they were already giving the booster shot to immunocompromised individuals.

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Denton County Public Health said it would be reaching out to people individually to self-schedule for a third dose appointment starting the week of Sept. 27.

The booster doses have been available at pharmacies and grocery stores, such as CVS and Walgreens pharmacies, for several weeks now. Parkland Health & Hospital System said it would begin distributing booster shots to eligible populations beginning the week of Sept. 27.

What about the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna shots?

The FDA and CDC recommendations only apply to the Pfizer vaccine.

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“We will address, with the same sense of urgency, recommendations for the Moderna and J&J vaccines as soon as those data are available,” Walensky said.

Moderna submitted a proposal to regulators for an additional dose of its vaccine, but the information is still under review. Johnson & Johnson has submitted data on its booster shot to the FDA for review.

Neither the CDC or the FDA recommended that people who got one of the other two available vaccines get a Pfizer shot for their third dose. Health officials have long said that the effects of “mixing and matching” different available vaccines is not known.

Are you still considered fully vaccinated if you don’t get a booster?

According to the CDC, people who don’t get a booster shot are still considered fully vaccinated. People are still considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose.

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