Last Updated on January 6, 2022 by BVN
Breanna Reeves | Black Voice News
On Tuesday, January 4, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their recommendation for when people can receive their booster shots. The CDC shortened the waiting period from six months to five months for those who received the Pfizer/ BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are still recommended to wait two months to receive their booster, and six months for those who received the Moderna vaccine.
This update follows news reports of sharp increases in the COVID-19 Omicron variant cases in several counties across California and the nation. Riverside and San Bernardino Counties both reported that the Omicron variant was detected in the respective counties in the month of December.
San Bernardino County reported nearly 7,000 new coronavirus cases over the past week and announced the first case of the Omicron variant in the county on Dec. 14, 2021. The county said the variant was detected in a male resident of Redlands who was fully vaccinated, and boosted.
“Discovering the Omicron variant in our county is a concern, but not a surprise,” said San Bernardino County Public Health Director Josh Dugas in a statement. “No matter the variant, we are still in the middle of a pandemic and we need to continue to protect ourselves and others from spreading and contracting Covid-19. The good news is we have vaccines, and we know they are highly effective against this virus.”
Update guidelines for children ages 5 to 11 and boosters authorized for those aged 12 to 15
In addition to the CDC updated recommendations noted above, they also recommended that “moderately or severely immunocompromised” children between the ages of five and 11 received an additional dose of the vaccine after 28 days of receiving their second shot. This recommendation only applies to the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine.
“Following the FDA’s authorizations, today’s recommendations ensure people are able to get a boost of protection in the face of Omicron and increasing cases across the country, and ensure that the most vulnerable children can get an additional dose to optimize protection against Covid-19, “ said CDC Director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky in a statement.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) also authorized boosters for 12- to 15-year-olds.
