CDC Makes Boosters Simple: Everyone 18 and Over Is Eligible

The final approval for administering coronavirus vaccine booster shots to everyone 18 and older was granted Friday evening, when the CDC director signed off on the idea. In doing so, Rochelle Walensky accepted the unanimous recommendations from independent experts, the Washington Post reports. "Based on the compelling evidence, all adults over 18 should now have equitable access to a COVID-19 booster dose," Walensky said in a statement. Even health professionals have been confused about who's been eligible until now for a booster shot.

"I have heard from I don't know how many states, 'Everything is confusing here, can you make it simpler?'" said the director of the FDA center that regulates vaccines. "I think this is pretty simple now: If you are over 18, and you have been vaccinated … it is time to go get a booster." Peter Marks added that the manufacturer doesn't matter, just "go get a booster." Those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine should wait six months since their last shot, while Johnson & Johnson recipients are advised to wait two months. CDC data show that fewer than 40% of people over 65 in the US have received a booster dose, per the Hill. (More COVID booster shots stories.)