Key Takeaways

Federal health agencies currently only recommend COVID-19 booster shots for certain individuals. However, in the past week California, Colorado, New Mexico, and New York have all expanded eligibility for booster shots to all adults.

This move skirts the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation currently in place.

The CDC recommends people who are 65 and older, adults with a high risk of severe illness, or those with frequent institutional or occupational exposure to the virus to get a booster, provided it has been at least six months since the second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or at least two months since the Johnson & Johnson shot.

When Can You Get a Booster Shot?

Are States Allowed to Expand Booster Shot Eligibility?

“The states have really been adapting and designing their own guidelines throughout the pandemic,”Nicholas Kman, MD, an emergency medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Verywell. “We saw this when some states reopened last year with mask guidance and many did not. We also saw states craft their own plans when it came to the vaccine rollout.”

CaliforniaandNew Yorkresidents are permitted to determine their own risk of exposure, and the entire state of Colorado wasdeclaredas high risk for exposure or transmission of COVID-19, which essentially allows all adults to get their booster shots.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order specifically expanding the eligibility of booster shots to all adults.

What This Means For YouAdults who live in California, Colorado, New Mexico, or New York may be able to get a COVID-19 booster shot as long as it has been six months since the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or two months since the single Johnson & Johnson shot.

What This Means For You

Adults who live in California, Colorado, New Mexico, or New York may be able to get a COVID-19 booster shot as long as it has been six months since the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or two months since the single Johnson & Johnson shot.

Why Aren’t Booster Shots Available For Everybody Yet?

Health authorities are carefully reviewing data to determine whether expanding booster eligibility to all adults is necessary. Although there is no apparent concern about vaccine supply, the CDC is still prioritizing shots for those who need them first.

In the case ofPfizer-BioNTechandJohnson & Johnsonvaccines where the booster shot is the same as the primary shot/s, the vaccine doses can be used for unvaccinated Americans instead, who have yet to receive their primary vaccination series.

“It is important to note that the vaccines, prior to boosters, still seem to be very effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in most Americans,” Kman said. “In these cases, the extra vaccines can be used to get others the all-important first vaccination."

For groups whose risk of contracting COVID-19 or getting severe illness from infection is low, booster shots might not be needed.

“Ultimately, boosters may not be needed for all adults,”Scott C. Roberts, MD, Yale Medicine infectious diseases specialist and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, told Verywell. “In fact, some individuals may still have very robust immunity. Getting a booster dose would be both unnecessary and take away a dose from someone who does need it, such as those over the age of 65 or those with medical conditions that place them at a high risk for severe COVID-19.”

Currently, Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech are requesting the FDA authorize their COVID-19 booster dose for everyone 18 and older, demonstrating its safety and efficacy based on the results of clinical trials.Should the FDA approve their request, the CDC will update their Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot recommendations.

CDC Director Overrules Panel to Include Frontline Workers in Booster Rollout

What Should You Do If You’re Not Currently Eligible?

If you’re worried about your vaccine’s waning effectiveness against infection, talk to a healthcare provider about your COVID-19 risk andbooster shoteligibility, experts say.

Many are especially concerned about their protection againstCOVID-19 during the holiday season,but gatherings are likely safe as long as everyone who is eligible is fully vaccinated and has received their booster.

How to Navigate Conversations at a Mixed Vaxxed Thanksgiving

“The most important tool is ensuring everyone in the family—or whoever is gathering at the Thanksgiving table this year—is vaccinated,” Roberts said. “Other ways to maximize safety include masking during travel, avoiding large indoor congregate events, and taking rapid at-home COVID-19 tests if these are available.”

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: FDA Takes Additional Actions on the Use of a Booster Dose for COVID-19 Vaccines.

Office of the Governor.State extends booster eligibility to all New Mexico adults.

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