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If you are 50 or older and at higher risk of severe disease from COVID-19, theFood and Drug Administration and theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention have authorized a second dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna shot.
The agency’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said the additional booster is especially important for people 65 and older, and those 50 and older who have underlying medical conditions that put them at more risk from COVID-19.
“They are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time,” she said in a statement.
Here's what to know about booster shots:
Who can get a second COVID booster of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines?
Anyone 50 and older who has gotten any approved or authorizedprimary COVID-19 vaccine series and a booster dose is eligible for a second booster of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
Although the CDC expanded booster eligibility, the agency says the second shot is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions.
Anyone immunocompromised and age 12 or older is eligible for another dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, and immunocompromised adults can now also receive the Moderna vaccine.
For the immunocompromised, the initial vaccination course is three doses. They have been allowed since last fall to get a first booster, or fourth dose, and are now entitled to a fifth, CDC spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund confirmed.
How soon can I get a second COVID vaccine booster shot?
At least four months after your first booster shot, according to the CDC.
What qualifies as an ‘underlying medical condition?'
Studies have shown that people who have certain medical conditions are more at risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19,according to the CDC.
These medical conditionsincludeobesity, diabetes, chronic lung, kidney or liver disease, heart disease, smoking, pregnancy and many mental health conditions.
The CDCcompleted a review for each medical condition to ensure it met the criteria to be included on the list but urges people to talk with their health care provider about their risk as some medical conditions may not appear on the list.
Can people who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine get a second booster?
People who received initial doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can receive a second booster dose,Nordlund said. The J&J vaccine was initially a one-shot vaccine, though studies suggested that two doses were needed to provide the same protection as the other two authorized vaccines.
J&J recipients have been eligible since last fall to get a second shot, and the CDC recommended they receive an mRNAvaccine for their second dose. They can receive a third shot, with either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, Nordlund said.
Where can you get a second COVID booster in Florida?
The nation's top twopharmacies — CVS and Walgreens — say they're gearing upto administer second booster doses to eligible recipients this week.
The Biden administration is also launching an online one-stop center, COVID.gov, that will enable peopleto access pharmacies and quicklyfind information about COVIDvaccines.
Be aware that someof the locations in Florida offering online appointments may not yet have updated their websiteswith information on second boosters. Here's the general booster info from each location.
PUBLIX
Second Pfizer booster shots are available at all Publix Pharmacy locations in the state of Florida for walk-ins andappointments.
If you walk in, you must bring your driver license, insurance card, and CDC immunization card.
If you make an appointment online, be ready to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number, Medicare ID number (if applicable), state and county, and emergency contact name and number along with your contact information. You'll also be asked questions about your allergies and long-term health history.
WINN-DIXIE, FRESCO Y MÁS AND HARVEYS SUPERMARKETS
Grocery store pharmacies from the Southeastern Grocers chain are offering walk-up and online appointments.
Appointments:Winn-Dixie|Fresco y Más|Harvey's
WALMART, SAM'S CLUB
Walmart and Sam's Club pharmacies are walk-in andonline appointmentsfor vaccines and boosters.
CVS
A CVS spokesperson told USA TODAY eligible patients "will soon" be able to schedule the additional shot online or through the pharmacy app, but did not specify when people can make their appointment.
CVS is offering booster shots at its 649 locations in Florida.Boosters are also available at select CVS MinuteClinic locations. Walk-in appointments are offeredbut they recommendscheduling your visitin advancedue to potential limited availability.
WALGREENS
Walk-in appointments at Walgreens pharmacy are available Wednesday through Friday, "as store capacity allows," a spokesperson said. Appointment scheduling at Walgreens will be available online or through the mobile app starting Friday.
You may also call 1-800-WALGREENS(1-800-925-4733).
REGIONAL LOCATIONS
Many county-run sites have shut down as the case numbers have dropped but local clinics may be offering boosters. Check with your local sites for details.
Do I need a fourth dose of COVID vaccine?
There is no data suggesting that healthy people will significantly benefit from a fourth dose or how long the fourth dose would last.
But some data suggests a second booster shot would help combat fading immunity after the third shot.
The FDA cited an ongoing study among Israeli health care workers, 154 of whom received a fourth shot with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 120 who were boosted a second time with Moderna.
Two weeks later, both groups saw at least a tenfold increase in levels of antibodies capable of fighting off COVID-19, while antibody levels continued to fall among those who didn't receive an additional booster. No new safety concerns were raised in either group.
Other studies, some not officially peer-reviewed and published, show vaccine effectiveness declines three to six months after the initial booster, and a second booster can improve protection against severe disease.
COVID vaccine co*cktails:
Will the second COVID booster shot work against the BA.2 omicron variant?
Thenew omicron subvariant, dubbed BA.2, has quickly become the most common strainin the U.S., according to the latest data from theCDC. The new strain, sometimes called stealth omicron, now accounts for more than half (54.9%) of coronavirus infections in the country, the CDC confirmed March 29.
Although the initial shots provide protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, a booster shot was better at preventing severe infectionfrom the omicron variant that emerged near the end of last year. Vaccines have proven to be effective against the variants that have emerged.
'Especially important':WHO says COVID boosters needed, reversing previous stance related to vaccine inequity
How soon can you get a booster shot after having COVID-19?
If you've been diagnosed with COVID, if you're showing symptoms, or if you've been exposed to someone with COVID, you need to wait until you've recovered from it and have met the criteria for ending your isolation:
For most people, 10 days after symptom onset and after 24 hours without fever or other symptoms.
For people who are severely ill or immunocompromised, 20 days after symptom onset and resolution of fever or other symptoms
For people infected but without symptoms, 10 days after the first positive test.
Is it the flu, a cold, or COVID-19?How to know, and when to get tested
COVID in Florida:What to know if you're exposed or test positive for coronavirus
Why do I need a COVID booster if I'm vaccinated? Doesn't the vaccine work?
It does. But vaccines work by imitating an infection to cause your immune system to develop an immunity to the infection. After the imitation goes away, your body remembers how to fight it, which gives you protection against the real virus.
Butsome vaccinesrequire more than one shot to help provide full immunity, and for some viruses immunity begins to wear off after a time and a "booster" shot is needed. Many vaccines for childhood diseases such as DTaP -- which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis -- require multiple shots and later boosters, and flu shots are a good idea every year. Vaccineswork, they just don't last forever.
Contributing: Karen Weintraub and Michael Collins, USA TODAY. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.
C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiplenewsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to yourlocal news organization.Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges
