All three COVID-19 vaccinations authorized in the United States now have approval for booster doses.
Last month, Pfizer boosters were approved for select populations, including health care workers. This week, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson received a green light for booster doses too.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recommendations for the Moderna booster are the same as its Pfizer recommendations. People who received one of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and fall into one of following groups are eligible for a booster shot six months or more after their second dose:
- 65 years and older
- Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
- Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
- Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings
The guidance for the Johnson & Johnson booster dose is more universal. The CDC recommends that all 15 million Americans who received the single dose Johnson & Johnson's vaccine receive a booster dose, at least two months after they were first vaccinated.
Mix and matching booster doses
The CDC also announced that eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. The statement from the CDC noted that some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster. The CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.
Moderna vaccines added to colleague vaccination clinics
To accommodate Nebraska Medicine and UNMC colleagues, non-clinical staff and faculty who received the Moderna vaccine earlier this year and those who prefer to receive a Moderna booster following the CDC’s mix and match authorization, Employee Health is transitioning three of the upcoming influenza and COVID-19 vaccination clinics at the Nebraska Medical Center from Pfizer to Moderna:
- Wednesday, Oct. 27: 7 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, Nov. 2: 3 to 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 11: 8 a.m. to noon
Sign up for an appointment using this link.
Colleagues who wish to receive the Pfizer vaccine should schedule or reschedule to the following date:
- Friday, Nov. 5: 8 a.m. to noon
The influenza vaccine will be available at all remaining vaccine clinics. You only need to sign up for one appointment time, even if you are receiving two vaccines. Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson booster doses are available to patients who meet the criteria set by the CDC. At this time, Nebraska Medicine is not administering Moderna vaccines to patients.
- Patients can set up an appointment for the Pfizer vaccine online, through their One Chart | Patient portal or through the Nebraska Medicine app.
- Walk-in Pfizer vaccines are available at the Pharmacy at Lauritzen Outpatient Center.
- Walk-in Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available at the pharmacy at Bellevue Health Center and the Pharmacy at Durham Outpatient Center.
More information is available at NebraskaMed.com/Vaccine.