All adults in Maryland can now receive a COVID-19 booster shot, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) said Friday.
Anyone 18 and older who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is eligible for the booster six months after their second vaccine dose. Those who got Johnson & Johnson are eligible for a booster two months after their shot.
Vials of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images.
“As of today, Maryland has already administered more than 800,000 booster shots, and we are immediately expanding our campaign further to include all adults,” said Hogan in a news release. “As the holiday season approaches, with more travel and more gatherings, we are encouraging all Marylanders to get a booster shot and maintain their immunity. The state has a robust network of vaccination providers, and we continue to have both the supply and the capacity to provide a booster shot to anyone who needs one.”
Maryland health officials are urging people in the following groups to get a booster shot:
- people age 65 and over
- people who live in long-term care settings
- anyone who has underlying medical conditions
- people who work or live in high-risk settings or in communities with high transmission rates
The announcement comes as the Food and Drug Administration authorizes booster shots for all adults, too, and a CDC panel is scheduled to meet Friday afternoon to discuss it. If the CDC approves, as expected, then the shots will become widely available.
Hogan has been calling on eligible adults to get the booster shot since they became available. So far in Maryland, 802,987 booster shots have been given.
Over 82% of adults in Maryland have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine and more than 4 million people are fully vaccinated, according to state data
Find a vaccine clinic in Maryland here or call the multilingual vaccine call center at 1-855-MD-GOVAX (1-855-634-6829).
To see this story by Colleen Martin as it originally appeared on Patch.com, click here.
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