Second COVID-19 Booster Available To Certain Groups In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A second COVID-19 booster dose is available to eligible groups in the Fairfax Health District after federal recommendation.

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention recommended a second booster shot for people 50 and older and certain immunocompromised people. The second booster is recommended at least four months after the initial booster dose, whether it be the Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The expanded eligibility for boosters is focused on groups at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, according to the CDC.

There is no second booster recommended for people under 50 who are not immunocompromised. The initial booster dose is recommended for ages 12 and older.

While vaccination rates are high in the Fairfax Health District, there is a smaller percentage of people with booster doses. According to the Virginia Department of Health, 86.1 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated in Fairfax County, while 50.9 percent have a booster dose. For the 12-17 age group, 85.3 percent are fully vaccinated and 32.7 percent have a booster dose.

The Fairfax County Health Department offers vaccine clinics at Fairfax County Government Center and the Hyland South County Government Center and other pop-up clinics. Other providers can be found be searching your ZIP code at www.vaccines.gov.

The Fairfax Health District covers Fairfax County, towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton, and cities of Falls Church and Fairfax.