COVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In Holmdel, Hazlet

HOLMDEL, NJ — Booster shots, available at pharmacies/clinics in Holmdel and Hazlet, are the best defense against COVID-19 illnesses as the omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads across the country, according to health officials.

Breakthrough COVID-19 cases from the omicron variant — infections among the vaccinated — are less common among people who have received their third vaccination shots, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The omicron variant, first reported in South Africa on Nov. 24, has been detected in all but a handful of states, including New Jersey.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said Friday the Pfizer and Moderna booster shots work well against the omicron variant and that there’s no need for a specific vaccine to fight it.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the omicron variant is likely to become the dominant coronavirus strain in the coming weeks. It currently represents 3 percent of new infections.

Public health officials are concerned that vaccination rates — currently 61 percent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, and only 28 percent have gotten booster shots — are insufficient to fend off a fifth wave of the coronavirus. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing, with about 120,000 new cases and 1,200 deaths reported each day, mainly from the delta variant.

To get a booster shot in Holmdel and Hazlet, go to:

• Bayshore Homecare Pharmacy, 733 N Beers St STE L1, Holmdel
• VNA of Central Hersey, 23 Main St., Holmdel
• Bayshore Medical Center, 727 N Beers St., Holmdel
• ShopRite Pharmacy, 3120 Nj 35, Hazlet
• Walgreens, 2995 Highway 35, Hazlet
• Hazlet Pharmacy, 2874 Route 35, Hazlet
• Holmdel Pharmacy and Deli, 487 Middle Road, Hazlet
• Costco Wholesale Corporation, 2835 Route 35 N, Hazlet
• CVS, 3391 Highway 35, Hazlet
• Rite Aid, 1360 Route 36, Hazlet
• Walgreens, 1198 Route 36, Hazlet
• CVS, 14 Highway 36 W, Hazlet

The CDC says Pfizer and Moderna booster shots both provide increased protection against COVID-19 and helped prevent severe symptoms in breakthrough cases.