Following approval by federal agencies, various individuals who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are now eligible to get a booster shot 6 months following completion of their primary series. This includes people ages 65 and older; individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions; and those at high risk of COVID-19 infection due to occupational or institutional exposure. Everyone who received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) should get a booster dose if it has been two months since their first dose.

Advisory Committees to the FDA and CDC are scheduled to meet in the next few weeks to consider approval of the Pfizer vaccine for 5-11-year-old children, and the Health Department of Northwest Michigan and other providers are planning how they will roll out the vaccine once available.

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is awaiting final word from federal agencies before being able to offer the general public a Moderna or J&J booster shot - a move that may occur later this week.