Booster doses authorized for Moderna and J&J COVID Vaccines

Oct. 23—The Georgia Department of Public Health and health districts throughout Georgia will start offering booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine Tuesday, pending guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The boosters are in addition to previously approved booster doses of Pfizer vaccine.

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at six months or more after their initial two-dose series: 65 years and older; ages 18 and up who live in long-term care settings; ages 18 and up who have underlying medical conditions; and ages 18 and up who work or live in high-risk setting.

For people who received the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those 18 and older, and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC's recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.

Not all types of vaccine will be available at all sites. For information about COVID vaccines or to schedule a vaccination appointment visit dph.ga.gov/covid-vaccine or vaccinefinder.org.

For updates on COVID-19, follow @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Twitter and @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Facebook.