Town of Westbrook HEALTH Department

(860) 399-9869 · Fax (860) 399-2084

September 24, 2021

CDC Booster Dose Recommendations

COVID-19 Vaccine Providers in Connecticut may begin administration of Pfizer booster doses in line with the FDA emergency use authorization and CDC recommendations. Westbrook residents are advised to consult with their healthcare provider on receiving their booster dose based on the below CDC recommendations.

CDC recommends:  

• People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,   
• People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
• People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may* receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
• People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may* receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
• Note that persons who received Moderna or J&J vaccines for their primary doses are not included in the CDC recommendation currently. We expect to receive several continued updates to booster dose guidelines over the next weeks. These will include further clarification of today’s recommendations; and likely include recommendations related to the Moderna and the J&J vaccines as well as potential expansion of the recommended population groups.

For more information:

• *ACIP Shared Clinical Decision-Making Recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/acip-scdm-faqs.html
• CDC website on People with Underlying Medical Conditions: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html
• CDC website on the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html#considerations-additional-dose
• Vaccination clinics and Testing sites: https://portal.ct.gov/coronavirus

COVID Vaccine updates from the Connecticut Department of Public Health & CDC

On 10/26, the Food and Drug Administration’s independent advisory group recommended that the Pfizer-BioNTech application for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 through 11 be approved. Currently, only children 12-years-and-older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The Connecticut Department of Public Health anticipates several additional authorization activities to follow shortly:

1. In the next days, the FDA will likely accept these recommendations and issue an EUA for the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 through 11

2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent advisory group, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet next week on Nov. 2 and 3 to issue its own independent recommendations related to the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 

3. The CDC Director will likely accept the ACIP’s recommendations

4. If all recommendations and approvals go smoothly, Connecticut will begin administration of COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 5 through 11 on Thursday, Nov. 4 

Children and families will have many options for where to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, including: 

• • Pediatricians: Hundreds of pediatricians will be administering COVID-19 vaccines across the State of Connecticut. However, not all pediatricians will have the COVID-19 vaccine, so if your child’s provider doesn’t offer the COVID-19 vaccine, please refer to one of the other options provided.  
  • Pharmacies: There will be hundreds of pharmacy locations that are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to children, including many CVS, Walgreens, RiteAid, and other pharmacy chains across the state as well as independent pharmacies. Pharmacies provide a safe, convenient, and easy location to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Pharmacies have rolled out specialized trainings for their pharmacist staff to provide vaccines for younger children. 
  • School-based clinics: The Department of Public Health and the Connecticut State Department of Education are collaborating to offer on-site clinics at schools across the State of Connecticut. These will either be led by school-based health centers or special mobile teams that are specifically trained to offer vaccines for younger children. Information about such clinics will be provided by schools or districts directly. 
  • Other locations: In addition to the above, several health systems and local health departments will be offering COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5–11. 

Everyone is encouraged to visit ct.gov/covidvaccine to learn more. You can also use that website to search for a convenient location near you to find a vaccine for your child.

Please click this link for the full CT DPH Press Release: