NEW YORK – The New York State Clinical Advisory Task Force officially endorsed the CDC’s recommendation on COVID-19 booster vaccines, and four groups of New York residents are currently eligible to receive it, it announced. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday.
The Democrat launched a new website with information on who qualifies, how to make an appointment and where to go for a free vaccine and other questions that have been a priority as the US steps up its implementation again.
So can you get the booster shot? And should you prioritize giving a booster dose of the vaccine?
First, only New Yorkers who have received the Pfizer = BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are eligible for the booster dose. Those people must receive a booster dose at least six months after completing your vaccination series and are at least 65 years old or live in a long-term care setting, the Hochul administration said.
People ages 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions too must receive a booster dose if the necessary period of time has passed since they completed their initial series, New York health officials added.
What about people who completed their Pfizer series at least six months ago, but don’t fall into one of those two categories? If you are between the ages of 18 and 49 with an underlying medical condition that qualifies you for a booster, you are eligible to receive it.
What counts as a qualifying underlying health condition? Here’s a list from the CDC:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- Chronic lung diseases, including COPD, asthma (moderate to severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension
- Dementia or other neurological conditions.
- Diabetes (type 1 or type 2)
- Down syndrome
- Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension)
- HIV infection
- Immunosuppressed state (weakened immune system)
- Liver disease
- Overweight and obesity
- Are pregnant
- Sickle cell disease or thalassemia
- Smoking, current or past
- Solid Organ or Blood Stem Cell Transplant
- Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain.
- Substance use disorders
If you are between the ages of 18 and 64 and have a higher risk of exposure to COVID-19 because of your job, you may also be eligible for a booster shot. Have more questions about what jobs qualify or anything else? See these frequently asked questions here.
New Yorkers who have received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not currently eligible for a booster dose, but that could change at some point.
New York is actively planning to develop and maintain a continuous supply so that all New Yorkers can get reinforcements when they qualify. Hochul recently announced $ 65 million in funding for county Health Departments to build the infrastructure needed to support fast and reliable injection delivery.
All New York State mass vaccination sites are now open to New Yorkers who are eligible for the booster shot. If you are not sure where to go, you can call your local pharmacy, doctor or health department or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX for more details.
EMTs are now also authorized to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, which adds more than 2,000 fully trained vaccinators to the state program. Another 50,000 basic EMTs meet the criteria to receive the necessary training to do the same.
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