Booster Shots eligibility for 3rd COVID Vaccine Dose and when

With the rise of the “Delta” Variant, the Biden administration’s health experts are recommending that Americans should get a third COVID-19 vaccine “booster” shot beginning as early as Sept. 20. In the face of data that shows the effectiveness of the two-dose vaccines decreases over time.

Under the administration’s plan, individuals are advised to get a booster shot eight months after they received the second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The first COVID vaccinations outside of clinical trials began to be administered in the U.S. in December, with second doses coming three to four weeks later, making the earliest vaccine recipients eligible for the boosters starting in September. Officials have said that they expect those Americans who’ve received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to also get the booster shot, but the data on the long term effectiveness of that vaccine is not yet available.

Based on previous circumstances regarding eligibility, since health care workers, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and older Americans with disabilities were among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, they will likely be the first to qualify for the booster shots.

Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus coordinator, said at an Aug. 18 briefing that the administration will make sure it will be “easy for all Americans to get their free vaccine, their booster shot in their arm around their eighth-month mark.” He also said there will be enough supply for everyone who seeks a booster to get one.