COVID boosters: Who can get a third shot now in Colorado?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened the floodgates Friday for perchance millions of Americans to get a 3rd COVID-19 changeable based connected their age, aesculapian conditions oregon hazard connected the job.

Confused astir whether you’re 1 of them and whether you should get a booster? Read on.

Who tin get a 3rd dose now?

Previously, lone radical who person specific conditions that impair their immune systems were eligible. Now, you tin get a 3rd changeable if you antecedently had the Pfizer vaccine, got your 2nd dose astatine slightest six months ago, and either are implicit 65, person a chronic wellness condition, oregon enactment successful a occupation wherever you’re astatine hazard of vulnerability to the virus.

Health conditions that suffice a idiosyncratic for a booster include:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic lung disease, including mean oregon terrible asthma
• Dementia
• Diabetes
• Down syndrome
• Heart conditions
• HIV
• Weakened immune system
• Liver disease
• Overweight oregon obesity
• Pregnancy
• Sickle compartment illness oregon thalassemia
• Current oregon erstwhile smoking
• Organ oregon stem compartment transplants
• Stroke oregon cerebrovascular disease
• Substance usage upset (addiction)

Workplaces that could beryllium considered high-risk see wellness attraction facilities, prisons and stateless shelters, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. The guidance is sufficiently vague that astir each frontline workers could qualify, though.

In Colorado, vaccine providers were told to instrumentality people’s connection that they qualified for a 3rd changeable due to the fact that of a information affecting the immune system, and it’s apt they’ll trust connected the grant strategy again.

What if I got the Moderna oregon Johnson & Johnson shot?

In aboriginal September, Moderna announced it had submitted information supporting its exertion to let a wider colonisation to person boosters. Johnson & Johnson besides reported this week that a 2nd changeable gave recipients much protection.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to instrumentality up the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster question in a fewer weeks. The FDA doesn’t urge mixing changeable types astatine this point, due to the fact that there’s comparatively small data, though what accusation exists hasn’t raised reddish flags.

Why bash I request a booster?

Depending connected your property and health, you mightiness not. Scientists are inactive debating whether boosters person immoderate worth for mostly steadfast people.

There’s statement that radical with compromised immune systems payment from a 3rd shot, giving them a accidental to signifier defenses that they whitethorn not person had before. People who person compromised immune systems are astir 400 times arsenic likely to beryllium hospitalized for COVID-19 aft vaccination arsenic vaccinated radical without a large wellness condition.

The CDC recommends that radical who are implicit 65, oregon are implicit 50 and person a chronic wellness condition, should get a 3rd shot. The proposal is weaker for younger radical who person wellness conditions oregon are astatine hazard of vulnerability astatine work, who “may” get the changeable if they choose.

The existing changeable regimen inactive offers beardown extortion against hospitalization and decease for steadfast people, starring immoderate experts to reason boosters aren’t necessary for that group. Others argued that the disruption from wellness attraction unit and different frontline employees getting sick, adjacent with mild infections, was capable reason to connection them booster shots.

Is this antithetic from erstwhile shots?

No. It’s a 3rd dose of the aforesaid vaccine you antecedently got. The thought is that the immune strategy fundamentally volition get different signifier circular against the virus, to physique its defenses earlier it whitethorn look the existent thing.

Where tin I get a 3rd dose?

Most sites that connection archetypal and 2nd doses of the Pfizer changeable besides volition springiness a third, but telephone up to beryllium sure. To spot vaccination providers successful your area, sojourn covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine/where-you-can-get-vaccinated.

What is Colorado doing?

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment announced past week that it would unfastened four mass-vaccination sites to grip a imaginable summation successful request from boosters and caller leader mandates. The locations, which volition beryllium unfastened each time done Sept. 30, are:

• Aurora Municipal Center, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Southwest Plaza Mall, Littleton, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Chapel Hills Mall, Colorado Springs, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Earlier this week, Gov. Jared Polis urged older Coloradans to get a booster shot, adjacent if they didn’t person a information that qualified them. The authorities is starting to rotation retired boosters successful nursing homes and assisted surviving facilities, with a extremity of finishing by mid-October.