US expands COVID boosters to all adults, final hurdle ahead

US expands COVID boosters to all adults, final hurdle ahead

FILE - A man gets a COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site at the Natick Mall on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, in Natick, Mass. All adults in Massachusetts are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. Gov. Charlie Baker's administration said Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, that residents aged 18 and over can get the additional shot six months after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two months since receiving a Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration has opened up COVID-19 booster shots to all adults, letting them choose another dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. The move expands the U.S. government’s booster campaign to shore up protection and get ahead of rising coronavirus cases that may worsen with the holidays. But there’s one more step: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must agree that even healthy young adults should get either a Pfizer or Moderna booster. Its scientific advisers are set to debate that later Friday. If the CDC agrees, tens of millions more Americans could have three doses of protection ahead of the new year.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday issued the following statement regarding booster shots,

“Respected health experts and doctors at the Federal Drug Administration have now authorized the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 booster for all adults.

“The vaccine is safe, free and the best way to prevent the spread of this deadly virus in our communities as we head into the colder months. If you want to protect yourself and loved ones from COVID-19, get the vaccine. If you are vaccinated already, get the booster.”

Photo: FILE – A man gets a COVID-19 vaccine at a mass vaccination site at the Natick Mall on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, in Natick, Mass. (Matt Stone/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool, File)