More States Open Booster Shot Access To All Adults
Add Arkansas, West Virginia and New York City to the list of areas that aren't waiting for federal regulatory approval to allow all residents 18 or older to get a covid vaccine booster. New Jersey's governor says his state will likely widen eligibility too.
NBC News:
NYC, States Move Ahead With Boosters For All As FDA Deliberates
All adults in New York City joined a growing group of people in the U.S. who can get Covid-19 booster shots Monday, even though federal health agencies haven’t signed off on the move. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Dr. Dave Chokshi, the health commissioner, made the announcement, which skirts both authorization from the Food and Drug Administration and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Sullivan, 11/15)
AP:
West Virginia Allows COVID-19 Booster Shots For All Adults
West Virginia has joined several other states in allowing all adults to get coronavirus booster shots, Gov. Jim Justice said Monday. Justice has been pushing the booster shots since they became available for anyone already fully vaccinated, although the state Department of Health and Human Resources’ website has posted federal guidelines for the extra shots. Justice clarified his position at a news conference Monday. (Raby, 11/15)
NorthJersey.com:
NJ COVID Booster Shot Eligibility May Be Open To All Adults Soon
New Jersey will likely waive some of the federal recommendations for adults to get a COVID vaccine booster shot, with demand among those eligible continuing to be very low, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.(Fallon, 11/15)
The New York Times:
New York City Tells Health Providers To Give Booster Shots To All Adults Who Want Them
New York City health officials on Monday encouraged all adults who want to receive coronavirus vaccine boosters to seek them out, and asked health providers not to turn them away, a move that comes as federal regulators consider expanding the eligibility pool for Pfizer-BioNTech’s booster. Anyone who is 18 or older and seeking a booster shot in New York City should not be turned away, said Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, the city’s health commissioner, provided it has been at least six months since their second shot of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or at least two months since they received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. (Fadulu, 11/15)
On the "lackluster" booster rollout —
Axios:
America's Lackluster Coronavirus Vaccine Booster Rollout Could Become A Big Problem
The Biden administration is expected to begin the process of expanding the booster authorization to all adults as early as this week, according to a source familiar with internal planning. America's booster campaign got off to an underwhelming start, potentially leaving millions of vulnerable people at risk as the holidays approach. (Owens, 11/16)
Meanwhile, in California —
San Francisco Chronicle:
California Wants All Adults To Get Booster Shots. Here's Why Making An Appointment Is A Challenge
Health officials in California want everyone 18 and older to get COVID-19 booster shots ahead of the holiday season. But there is still widespread confusion about who can book an appointment and how. That’s because most online vaccination scheduling systems — including the state’s MyTurn appointment site — still show the specific eligibility categories to receive a booster dose that were in place before state and county officials last week began encouraging booster shots for all. (Vaziri and Hwang, 11/15)
Los Angeles Times:
L.A. Officials Warn That COVID Vaccine Protections Wane As Holidays Approach
Angelenos are busy prepping for holiday parties, shopping and family gatherings. But Los Angeles County officials worry that behavior also could lead to another winter surge of coronavirus as people who got vaccinated earlier this year lose immunity just as they get together more — including in social situations and going back to work. So officials are urging the vast majority of adults to get a booster shot as soon as possible. (Lin II and Money, 11/15)
Los Angeles Times:
70% Of Californians Have Gotten At Least One COVID Vaccine Dose
Seven out of 10 Californians have now received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, a promising milestone that comes as state officials continue to urge more residents to roll up their sleeves for the first, second or even third time to ward off a feared coronavirus resurgence over the winter. Reaching that level of inoculation coverage — which happened over the weekend, according to data compiled by The Times — has been a long time coming in the nation’s most populous state. California officially cleared the hurdle roughly 11 months after the first vaccine doses went into arms. (Money and Lin II, 11/15)
