Vermonters can get Covid-19 vaccination booster shots produced by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson starting Friday, according to the governor’s office.
Gov. Phil Scott’s administration announced the expanded booster program in a news release late Thursday evening after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed use of the Moderna and J&J shots as boosters.
The Pfizer-produced vaccine was already approved for use as a booster last month.
Also effective Friday, Vermonters getting a booster at pharmacies or health care providers can choose a different vaccine brand than their initial shot, Scott’s office announced. That option will be available through the state registration system Nov. 1, according to the release, and follows an endorsement from the CDC.
Booster doses for Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson match the amount used in primary doses, while the booster amount for Moderna is a half-dose, according to the governor’s announcement.
Booster shots are available throughout the state. Additional doses are ordered and being prepared for shipment to Vermont in the coming weeks, Scott said.
How to schedule a booster
Starting 8 a.m. Friday, all eligible Vermonters can visit healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine to schedule a booster shot, according to the release.
At the website, click the “make an appointment” button and log in to your account.
“If you are eligible due to work or medical conditions, you may need to update your details in the registration system before making an appointment. Go to the Dependent/Household/Client tab and click the UPDATE DETAILS button,” according to the release.
Assistance is available by calling 855-722-7878, including for people who have not previously been vaccinated through the state registration system or who speak a language other than English.
Residents should bring their vaccination cards to their booster appointments, officials said.
People can also contact their health care providers or a local pharmacy to schedule their booster, including Costco, CVS, Hannaford, Kinney Drugs, Price Chopper/Market 32, Rite Aid, Shaw’s, Walgreens and Walmart, according to the release.
Eligibility
The governor’s office issued the following eligibility guidelines for booster shots:
Johnson & Johnson
- Received your vaccine at least two months ago and are
- 18 or older
Moderna and Pfizer
- Received your second dose of vaccine at least six months ago and are either
- 65 or older
- 18 or older with certain medical conditions
- 18 or older and work in a high-risk setting
- 18 or older and are Black, Indigenous or a person of color (BIPOC), or age 18 or older and live with someone who is BIPOC
‘An important step forward’
The expanded booster program “marks an important step forward in our efforts to end this pandemic,” Scott said in a statement included in the release.
“Vaccines and booster shots are free, safe, effective and widely available,” he said. “The vaccines offer the best protection against this virus, and getting the booster is key to making sure you have the most protection possible. We are making doses available in many places, and I strongly encourage people to get their booster shots as soon as they can.”
Health Commissioner Mark Levine said in the news release that being fully vaccinated, getting a booster shot “and following all the guidance to protect yourself and others, is how, together, we stop the spread of the virus.”
For more information about vaccinations, booster shots, getting tested and more, visit healthvermont.gov/covid-19.
