A patient receives her booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine during an Oakland County Health Department vaccination clinic at the Southfield Pavilion on Aug. 24, 2021, in Southfield, Michigan. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images)
This story was updated on Nov. 19.
In a change to previous messaging from health officials, everyone in California age 18 and over is now being urged to get a COVID booster shot ahead of Thanksgiving and the December holidays — and the CDC just approved the same expansion nationwide.
People age 50 and older are particularly urged by the CDC to get their booster.
Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson booster shots of the COVID vaccine have been available for several weeks following an in-depth review by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of their safety and efficacy. These extra shots were initially recommended on Oct. 21 only for Californians who fit certain criteria from the CDC.
These criteria included age, underlying health conditions and living or working somewhere with a higher risk of COVID exposure. (These rules only applied to people who originally got Moderna or Pfizer shots — everyone who got a Johnson & Johnson shot originally was already encouraged to get a booster.)
Rufus Peoples receives his booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine during an Oakland County Health Department vaccination clinic at the Southfield Pavilion on Aug. 24, 2021, in Southfield, Michigan. (Emily Elconin/Getty Images)
The updated CDPH guidance recommended that providers now allow their patients to "self-determine their risk of exposure," which Aragón noted could include — but was not limited to — people who:
Work with the public, or live with someone who works with the public
Live or work with someone at high risk of severe impact of COVID
Live in geographic areas that have been heavily affected by COVID
Reside in high-transmission areas
Live in a congregate setting
Experience social inequity
The patient’s self-determination of risk exposure could, Aragón wrote, include "other risk conditions as assessed by the individual." (By including people who live with individuals at higher risk of COVID exposure, these examples were already expanding on CDPH's previous original criteria given at the start of the booster shot rollout.)
Patients currently seeking a COVID booster or an online appointment for a COVID booster are asked to self-attest to their eligibility for the shot. Although a patient might be asked at the booking or appointment stage to state the reason they want a COVID booster, no documentation or proof of eligibility will be required.
"If you think you will benefit from getting a booster shot, I encourage you to go and get it. Supply is available," he said.
"It’s not too late to get it this week," Ghaly added. "Get that added protection for the Thanksgiving gatherings that you may attend. Certainly going into the other winter holidays, it is important."
A nurse marks a coronavirus vaccination card with a third 'booster' dose of Pfizer, at a vaccine clinic in Pasadena, California, on Aug. 19, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images))
On Nov. 10, Santa Clara County officials stressed that county residents and workers should get a COVID booster shot if enough time had elapsed since their last shot, saying in a statement that the booster "is appropriate for almost everyone ages 18 and older 6 months following the last Pfizer or Moderna vaccination, or 2 months following the Johnson & Johnson vaccination."
According to numbers provided by county officials, as of Tuesday only 19% of residents eligible for a booster shot had received one.
"We want to safeguard the public and prevent a COVID-19 surge as the holiday season approaches," Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County health officer and director of the public health department, said in the statement. "Get your booster now and make your Thanksgiving gathering safer."
Her colleague, COVID-19 Vaccine Officer Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, added that the county had "plenty of booster vaccination doses and more can be acquired for booster shots."
Where can I find a COVID booster near me?
Demand for COVID booster shots may be higher as Thanksgiving and the December holidays approach. If availability is low locally for a certain brand of COVID vaccine, remember that the CDC allows mixing and matching of COVID boosters.
You can find an online appointment for a booster shot by trying a mix of the following routes:
Whichever shot you get, your initial COVID vaccine or your vaccine booster shot will always be free. You do not need health insurance to be vaccinated.
What if I'm still being asked if I'm "eligible" for my booster when making an appointment?
Some online pharmacy vaccine booking sites, like Walgreens and CVS, may still ask whether you are eligible for a booster according to the CDC’s criteria when you’re making an appointment online. That's because pharmacies take their cue from federal guidance, not state, and may take a while to update after the CDC's latest update.
But understandably, that’s making some folks anxious about not being "truthful" in the pharmacy booking process to make their appointment.
If that’s you, what should you do? Remember that patients now seeking a COVID booster are asked to decide their own need, and self-attest to their eligibility. This means that although you might well be asked at the booking or appointment stage to give the reason you want a COVID booster, no documentation or proof of eligibility will be required online or at the appointment.
As of Nov. 18, My Turn has officially removed reference to CDC guidelines for booster shot eligibility, and now allows anyone age 18 and over to make a booster shot appointment in California.
KQED's Carlos Cabrera-Lomelí contributed to this post.
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