Thursday, January 6, 2022
(Washington, DC) – Today, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose for eligible 12- to 15-year-olds. Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, are encouraging all 12- to 15-year-olds who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on or before August 6, 2021 to get a booster dose as soon as possible.
Beginning January 6, 2022, all eligible 12- to 15-year-olds will be able to obtain their booster dose at District-operated library walk-up sites, pop-up sites, and pediatric clinics listed on vaccinate.dc.gov.
Currently, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine approved for people younger than 18.
DC Health wants to ensure residents know that the District has plenty of vaccine available and everyone 5 and older is encouraged to get their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine and those 12 and older get a booster dose as soon as possible. The following populations are currently eligible for a booster dose:
Anyone 12 or older who received their second dose of Pfizer on or before August 6, 2021
Anyone 18 or older and moderately or severely immunocompromised who received their third dose of Pfizer on or before August 6, 2021
Anyone 18 or older who received their second dose of Moderna on or before July 6, 2021
Anyone 18 or older and moderately or severely immunocompromised who received their third dose of the Moderna vaccine on or before July 6, 2021
Anyone 18 or older who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on or before November 6, 2021
According to recent CDC data:
Fully vaccinated people with boosters are 10 times less likely than unvaccinated people to get infected with COVID-19.
Fully vaccinated people with boosters are 2.5 times less likely to get infected with COVID-19 than fully vaccinated people without boosters, and 4 times less likely to die from COVID-19.
Fully vaccinated people with boosters are 20 times less likely than unvaccinated people to die from COVID-19.
Additionally, anyone 65 and older can move to the front of the line at all District-operated walk-up sites listed on vaccinate.dc.gov.
Residents can get a COVID-19 vaccination in the District by doing the following:
Visit a DC Government walk-up location listed on vaccinate.dc.gov
Request a vaccination at-home by calling 1-855-363-0333
Go to a doctor
Find a local pharmacy and schedule an appointment (vaccines.gov)
Additionally, all District residents 6 months and older should get vaccinated with the flu vaccine to protect themselves and the health care system this winter.
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