Moderna, J&J booster shots now available in Va.

Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 booster shots are now available in Virginia, the Virginia Department of Health announced Friday.

Dr. Danny Avula, the state’s vaccination liaison, said in a statement that pharmacies, doctors’ offices, hospitals and other providers are prepared for the rollout of the booster shots, which has been in the works for months now. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the two boosters. The CDC also said that people can choose any of the three boosters now authorized, regardless of which vaccine they received originally.

Pfizer Inc.’s booster was approved several weeks ago for those who received Pfizer vaccine doses earlier this year.

VDH issued these guidelines Friday: “For individuals who received either a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, a single booster is recommended at least six months after completion of their initial series for those populations who are 65 years of age and older, those living in long-term care facilities and those 18 years of age and up who are at increased risk due to underlying medical conditions or where they work or live. A single booster is recommended at least two months after completion of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccines for those 18 years of age and up.”

In addition to pharmacies and health care providers, the state also has community vaccination centers set up across the commonwealth, Avula said.

“If you decide to get a booster dose by mixing and matching, VDH urges you to consult with your doctor or health care provider who can assist you in making the best decision for your own situation,” he said. “We also stress that all three vaccines authorized for administration in the United States are highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness, hospitalization and death.”

Currently, everyone ages 12 or older is eligible for vaccination, although vaccines for children ages 5 to 11 are expected to be approved soon by the CDC. More information, including where free vaccines can be located, is available at vaccinate.virginia.gov.

As of Friday, 5.9 million Virginians have received at least one vaccine dose, and 74% of the adult population is fully vaccinated, while 334,081 people have received a third dose, according to VDH.