On September 22 and 23, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met to discuss the evidence regarding waning COVID-19 vaccine immunity and to consider a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for people who have completed the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine primary series.
ACIP concluded the following:
- Efforts to vaccinate all eligible persons with a primary series of a Pfizer, Moderna, or Janssen COVID-19 vaccine are crucial to controlling this pandemic and must continue.
- These booster recommendations are only for those persons vaccinated with a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine primary series.
- The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine series is protective at a minimum of two weeks after receiving two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least three weeks apart.
- Booster doses may not be administered to persons who had a primary COVID-19 vaccination series with Moderna or Janssen vaccines or any combination of these vaccines.
- Shared clinical decision-making between provider and patient/client is not required for vaccines to be administered.
The CDC recommendations for those who should receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after completion of the primary series include:
- People who are 65 years or older
- People who are 18 years or older and are residents in long-term care settings
- People who are 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions or at increased risk of social inequities
The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services has issued a technical bulletin accessible at the top of this web page with more information about booster recommendations.
For more information, guidance and resources about the COVID-19 response in Nevada, visit https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/.