Source: MSN.com
More than 2 million New Jerseyans are now eligible to get booster shots of the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine following the federal Centers for Disease Control’s approval Thursday night.
Health officials are urging those eligible to get boosters as soon as possible as colder weather and holiday gatherings will force more people indoors where the likelihood of transmission is much greater.
In an effort to get more booster shots into arms, the CDC is also allowing those eligible to get a booster of any of the three authorized vaccines even if it’s different from the one they received initially.
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More than 1,600 vaccination sites — from health departments to big box stores — are open to the public throughout New Jersey, but it’s not known how many carry Moderna and the more elusive J&J vaccine.
To find out information on where to get the booster you need, search the Department of Health’s database at Covid19.nj.gov/Pages/Finder.
More than 2.1 million New Jerseyans have received two shots of Moderna. But only 1.17 million are eligible right now for a booster, said Donna Leusner, a Health Department spokeswoman.
The CDC approved a Moderna booster six months after the second dose for the same groups of people who can get the Pfizer booster. They include:
Anyone 65 years and older
Anyone 18 years or older living in a long-term care facility
Anyone 18 years and older who have underlying medical conditions including cancer, kidney disease, dementia, diabetes, heart conditions, lung disease and other ailments. It is also recommended for those who are overweight, pregnant and smoke or used to smoke.
Anyone who works in high-risk settings including teachers, mass transit workers, prison staff, grocery store workers and others.