CDC expands eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots, any of 3 versions OK

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending COVID-19 booster shots for certain parts of the population.

It also does not matter which vaccine you initially received. Any of the three approved vaccines can be used as the booster, regardless of what your original shot was, the CDC stated. Only the timing from your original vaccine dose appears to be a factor as to getting a booster shot.

For individuals who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at six months or more after their initial series:

• 65 years and older

• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

For those who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and were vaccinated two or more months ago.

More than 65 million in the U.S. remain unvaccinated, leaving themselves and everyone around them, vulnerable.

Data shows all three of the COVID-19 vaccines approved or authorized in the U.S. continue to be highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death — even against the widely circulating Delta variant.