HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - After approval from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)based on guidance from the organization’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), CVS announced that select CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations are now offering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot to eligible populations starting Friday, September 24.
About 5,600 CVS stores across the country will be administering the Pfizer booster, including 163 locations in Virginia.
Following guidelines set by the ACIP and CDC:
- 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 to 64 with certain 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 18 to 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain 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 risk.
- 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.
People who initially received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine are not eligible for a booster at this time, per guidance from the public health agencies.
“We have the experience and the infrastructure to play a leading role in administering booster shots to eligible populations,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., MPH, executive vice president and chief medical officer of CVS Health. “We also continue to make it as convenient as possible for the unvaccinated to receive their first doses.”
Anyone who is interested in receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 booster or their initial vaccine series is strongly encouraged to make an appointment at CVS.com or MinuteClinic.com to make sure they are able to access the correct vaccine at a convenient time and location.
Currently, each participating CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic location is offering either the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, but not all three.
When scheduling an appointment on CVS.com, patients will be asked to provide the manufacturer and date of their last COVID-19 vaccine and will be able to schedule an appointment for a Pfizer-BioNTech booster dose if they have had two previous doses with the same vaccine at least six months prior.
Per CDC guidance, patients will be asked to self-attest to their eligibility as defined by the eligibility guidelines in order to help reduce barriers to access for these select populations.
Related: State vaccination coordinator discusses booster shot rollout for the Commonwealth
CVS Health has administered more than 34 million COVID-19 vaccines and 32 million COVID-19 tests across the country to date. The company has played a prominent role in administering third doses to the immunocompromised and is prepared to provide booster shots from other manufacturers, as well as expand vaccine eligibility to ages 5-11, as soon as authorized to do so by public health agencies.
