The COVID-19 booster shot has just been approved in the U.S.

Who can get it?

The following groups are eligible for the COVID-19 booster shot: 

• People who already received two Pfizer shots more than 6 months ago
• People who are 65 or older, or are between 18 and 65 and have underlying health conditions. Including people whose jobs put them at an increased risk of getting sick, like nurses, doctors or grocery store employees. 

This is against the original recommendation by the CDC’s independent advisory panel, which was ultimately overruled by the agency’s chief, Rochelle P. Walensky.

The reason for the 6 month wait after the second shot, is because, “There’s an immunological reason why it’s important to wait because, you know, if you allow the immune response to mature over a period of a few months, you get much more of a bang out of the shot, as it were, an enhancement of your antibodies,” FDA medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said. 

People who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine have to wait, there is not enough evidence yet to determine if the booster shot is safe or will work as expected if people got those vaccines. But more news for people who got these shots is expected soon.