COVID-19 Booster Shots Now Available in North Carolina
If you are in need of a COVID-19 booster shot, now is your chance. As stated in a press release from the CDC, North Carolinians who have been fully vaccinated with the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines may now be eligible to receive a booster dose. This boost shot is designed to strengthen and extend protections against severe illness.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have authorized and recommended ”booster” vaccine shots to provide continued protection.
The Moderna booster is a smaller dose than what is given in the first two shots. Be sure to let your provider know you want the booster. Here is more information on each of the booster shots.
Moderna: If you were vaccinated more than 6 months ago with the Moderna shot, boosters are now available for the following people.
- 65 years or older,
- 18 years or older who:
- Live or work in a nursing home or long-term care facility,
- Have underlying medical conditions; or,
- Work in high-risk settings like healthcare workers, teachers, and childcare providers or food workers.
- Live or work in a place where many people live together (for example, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, migrant farm housing, dormitories, or other group living settings in colleges or universities).
Johnson & Johnson: It is recommended that anyone 18 or older who was vaccinated more than 2 months ago with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster dose.
Pfizer: Pfizer-BioNTech (COMIRNATY) booster shots continue to be available to anyone at high risk for serious illness or exposure, and who received their second dose at least six months ago.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has now authorized the distribution of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters in addition to Pfizer COVID-19 boosters. Not all vaccines may be available at every vaccine location. To find a COVID-19 booster visit MySpot.nc.gov to search vaccine locations near you.
Additionally, individuals are now able to receive any brand of COVID-19 vaccine for their booster shot. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster.
Limited preliminary evidence suggests that booster doses of one of the two mRNA vaccines—Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech—more effectively raise antibody levels than a booster dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. NC DHHS encourages you to speak with a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist if you have questions about what booster is right for you. Have questions about whether your personal medical conditions or job might make you eligible? Talk to a doctor, pharmacist , or nurse about whether you should get a booster. You can read more in the NCDHHS press release here.
GALLERY: The Pandemic and North Carolina
