COVID-19 Booster Shots: Illinois Adopts CDC Recommendations

ILLINOIS — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday formally recommended COVID-19 booster shots for millions of Americans, and on Monday, the Illinois Department of Public Health followed suit.

As of Monday, the federal Food and Drug Administration had only authorized booster shots of Pfizer's vaccine, and was still gathering data on vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The federal agency cited studies showing that the vaccines' effectiveness may start to wane over time and is less reliable against the more-infectious delta variant of the coronavirus.

Although a two-shot course of vaccination is still highly effective at preventing severe illness and death, federal health officials said, it is less effective at preventing infection entirely, leading to so-called breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals.

Vaccinated individuals — even without the booster shot — are still far less likely to catch or spread the virus than the unvaccinated.

Data from a clinical trial showed that a third Pfizer shot given at least six months after the second shot improves the body's immune response and increases protection against the delta variant, according to the CDC.

Moderna and J&J are expected to submit data for their own booster shots soon, state health officials said.

“While the vaccines continue to be highly effective at preventing severe illnesses, hospitalization, death, as we learn more about COVID-19 and the science evolves, so too must our recommendations,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the state's top public health official. “Scientists and medical experts continue to monitor vaccines for waning immunity and how well the vaccines protect against new variants, and across which age groups and risk factors. The information reviewed by the FDA shows that there is clear evidence of the benefit of booster doses at this time.”

Who should get a booster?

The CDC recommends that the following groups should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after completing their first 2 doses:

• people aged 65 years and older
• residents aged 18 years and older in long-term care settings
• people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions

The CDC also recommends that the following groups may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after completing their primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks:

• people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions
• people aged 18–64 years at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting, such as health care workers, teachers and other essential workers.

Officials said the recommendations only apply to people who have already received both shots of Pfizer's vaccine. You should talk to your doctor if you're not sure if the booster shot is appropriate for you.

Is a booster shot safe?

All the vaccines currently available in the United States have been through multi-phase clinical trials with more than 30,000 participants — plus millions of ordinary Americans who have now received a shot. Officials said the potential side effects are the same as with the first two shots: soreness at the injection site, fatigue, fever, chills and headache. Allergic reactions possible but very rare. All providers have medicine available to treat such reactions, and studies suggest that if you weren't allergic to the first two shots, you'll be fine with the third.

Where can you sign up for a third shot if you're eligible?

If you are currently eligible for a third shot, or just want to start planning the expected expansion next month, you have a few options.

Pharmacies offering a third dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines include:

• CVS
• Meijer
• Sam's Club
• Walgreens
• Walmart

Check your pharmacy's website to see if you need to book an appointment or can just walk in to get your shot. Other pharmacies may begin offering the shots in the coming weeks, so keep checking back if yours isn't listed.

You can also visit vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find vaccination clinics near you. Some Illinois sites that may not be listed on the federal website can also be found at coronavirus.illinois.gov/vaccines/vaccination-locations, along with an interactive map.