Sep 25, 2021 4 min read

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday endorsed Pfizer booster shots for people aged 65 and older, nursing home residents, and otherwise vulnerable Americans.

The CDC’s decision opens the door for millions of Americans to get a booster shot.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on the recommendations from a panel of advisers late Thursday, and made one recommendation that the panel had rejected.

Walensky opted to make a third dose available to frontline health care workers and for workers in occupations that increase their risk to COVID-19 exposure.

The extra dose would be given once eligible people are at least six months past their last Pfizer shot.

Allegheny Health Network, Washington Health System and Monongahela Valley Hospital are prepared to offer the boosters to those who are eligible. WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital is discussing its plans.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted in favor of recommending booster shots for people aged 65 and older and for residents in long-term care facilities; for people aged 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions; for those aged 18 to 49 who have underlying medical conditions; and those 18 to 64 who are at increased risk because of their occupational or institutional setting.

The panel voted against a booster for people younger than 65 who have a high risk of being exposed to the coronavirus at work, including health care workers and teachers. But Walensky said a third dose for people who work in those high-risk environments aligns with the Food and Drug Administration’s decision earlier in the week to authorize boosters for older and at-risk Americans.

In the coming weeks, the CDC will review data and make recommendations about the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Dr. Amy Crawford-Faucher, vice chair of Allegheny Health Network Primary Care Institute, said it’s important to note the COVID-19 vaccines are holding up well at what they’re designed to do – provide strong protection against severe illness and death.

People who received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson, “still have very good protection against severe disease,” Crawford-Faucher said.

Unlike the initial COVID-19 vaccine rollout – where doses were in short supply and people searched online for appointments or drove to different states for a shot – the booster rollout is expected to be smooth.

“Given the vast supply of the vaccine and multiple places people can get the booster, this (vaccine rollout) will be more orderly than the initial rollout,” said Crawford-Faucher. “That mindset of storming the gates to get protection is not as strong.”

Crawford-Faucher added that while the availability of the booster is a good thing, it’s important for those who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated to get their COVID-19 shots.

“The fact is, you’re 11 times more likely to be hospitalized and 17 times more likely to die if you’re not vaccinated. People who are vaccinated and getting booster shots is not going to change those statistics for them,” said Crawford-Faucher. “The unvaccinated shouldn’t get complacent that we’re fixing the problem for them by getting boosters.”

As of Friday, about 64% of Americans 12 years old and older have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the CDC.

In Pennsylvania, 68% of residents age 18 and older are fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health. In Washington County, 52.4% of residents have been fully vaccinated; in Greene County, 39.2% are vaccinated; and in Fayette County, 46% of residents have gotten fully vaccinated.

Mon Valley Hospital is offering third doses to anyone age 65 and over, nursing home residents, people age 50 to 64 with underlying conditions, and anyone at risk due to their professions – including health care workers, police, EMTs, and teachers – at its clinics on Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Anthony M. Lombardi Education Conference Center.

People are strongly encouraged to visit Mon Valley Hospital’s website, monvalleyhospital.com and register online.

WHS will offer the third dose at clinics beginning Sept. 28.

Locations and hours include the Washington Hospital Stout Conference Center on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m.; and WHS Greene on the first floor inside the former Wellness Center on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon. Visit the WHS website at whs.org for information.

For additional information or to schedule an appointment through Allegheny Health Network, visit ahn.org.