CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WV News) — Gov. Jim Justice during his COVID-19 press briefing Friday discussed the newest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine booster doses.
The CDC on Friday released new guidance regarding booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine for those whose primary series was the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The agency will also be looking into similar action for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines as data becomes available.
The recommendations are:
• People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their primary series.
• People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot at least 6 months after their primary series.
• People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot at least 6 months after their primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
• People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot at least 6 months after their primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
Justice celebrated the decision, noting that he and other state officials had been advocating to the White House and CDC for weeks to allow booster doses. He also lamented how slow the process was for the approval.
"I don't get it. I just don't get this. Our federal government moves like a turtle," he said. "But finally, finally the CDC has authorized" the booster doses.
According to Justice, residents can take their vaccine card to any provider who is administering the vaccine and receive the booster. He added that anyone who has lost their card may request a new one from the state Department of Health and Human Resources.
West Virginians who have any questions regarding booster doses may also contact the state's COVID-19 Vaccine Info Line by calling 1-833-734-0965.
Dr. Clay Marsh added that both recommendation from Pfizer and real-world data from Israel, which had a significant amount of its population inoculated using the Pfizer vaccine, suggests the vaccination begins to lose potency after six months.
The data suggests that for those over the age of 60, the risk of severe COVID infection was reduced by 86% with a booster dose, he said.
"And we know that in Israel that significantly helped their challenge with hospitalizations, which we are seeing today."
James Hoyer, director of the state's Joint Interagency Task Force, said the booster doses had already begun, saying "there are doses being given as we have this briefing."
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