Essentia Health on Booster Shot
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration authorizes booster for specific populations to strengthen immunity.
Those now eligible for a booster include:
- people aged 65 and older and residents of long-term-care facilities
- people aged 50-64 with underlying medical conditions that make them especially susceptible to severe COVID-19
- people aged 18-49 with specific medical conditions, based on an assessment of their individual benefits and risks
- people in the 18-64 age group who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission based on their occupational or institutional settings.
The United States Food and Drug Administration amended its emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine, allowing for a single booster dose to be administered at least six months after completion of the initial series.
By Wednesday, Sept. 29, Essentia patients and non-patients alike in these additional groups can schedule a vaccine appointment via our MyChart patient portal. You also can call (833) 494-0836 to schedule a vaccine appointment. Additionally, Essentia Health pharmacies will offer vaccination opportunities. Please bring your vaccination card to your booster dose appointment.
Separate from the booster approval, the FDA and CDC previously had approved a third dose of mRNA vaccine — Pfizer or Moderna — for moderately to severely immunocompromised people as soon as 28 days after their second shot.