These 7 States Are Letting All Adults Get The COVID Booster Shot

With COVID cases growing across the U.S., seven states have moved to allow adults 18 and older to receive their COVID booster shot ahead of federal authorization.

The booster shot is administered six months after receiving their second dose of the COVID vaccine and comes as Pfizer filed authorization from the Food and Drug Administration last week for all Americans 18 and older.

According to ABC News, the FDA could issue guidance on Pfizer and Moderna booster shots for people 18 and older as soon as this week.

However, seven states in the U.S. are now allowing their residents to receive the booster shot regardless of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s current recommendations. These states are Arkansas, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and West Virginia, ABC News reported.

The CDC currently recommends booster shots for anyone 18 and older who has received the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine two months after receiving the one-dose shot.

The agency’s guidelines also recommend the booster shot for Moderna and Pfizer vaccine recipients who are 65 and older, have an underlying medical condition, or are at high risk for contracting the virus. These individuals should receive their booster dose six months after their second dose of the vaccine.

The CDC has reported that over 30 million Americans have received booster shots, accounting for 15.7% of the fully vaccinated population. Over 58.9% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the agency.

The nation’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has suggested that all Americans may need to have booster shots as the COVID vaccines’ immunity wanes.

He told the New York Times, “ If one looks back at this, one can say, do you know, it isn't as if a booster is a bonus, but a booster might actually be an essential part of the primary regimen that people should have.”