Expanding eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine boosters to everyone 18 and older is welcome news as the holiday season nears in Arizona.
Following approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today recommended booster doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for all adults who are at least six months past their second Pfizer or Moderna dose. Boosters also are recommended for all adults who are at least two months after receiving the single-dose Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.
“Vaccines have proven remarkably effective at preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19,” said Don Herrington, interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS). “Now everyone 18 and older can get a safe and free booster dose to make sure they continue to have the best possible protection.”
COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are available at hundreds of locations across Arizona. Please visit azhealth.gov/FindVaccine to locate a provider near you.
More information on booster doses is available at azhealth.gov/Boosters. For more information on COVID-19 vaccines, please visit azhealth.gov/COVID19Vaccines.
If you have questions or need assistance by phone, the bilingual ADHS COVID-19 Hotline is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week at 844.542.8201 (Select Option 8 to speak with a navigator).
COVID-19 cases are increasing in Arizona, with more than 5,000 cases added Friday to the ADHS data dashboard. Vaccination, boosters, and mitigation measures such as masking, maintaining physical distancing, and staying home when you are feeling sick are essential to flattening the curve.
The latest data from the CDC shows that unvaccinated individuals are 6.1 times more likely to get COVID-19 and 11.3 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who are fully vaccinated.
“COVID-19 vaccines save lives,” Herrington said. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, I encourage you to talk with your doctor and get vaccinated to protect yourself, your family, and your community.”
