BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

Are you fully vaccinated? CDC working to ‘pivot’ language

A health worker administers a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic at the Keystone First Wellness Center in Chester, Pa., Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

maylen

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

(NEXSTAR) — If you haven’t gotten your booster shot yet, you may no longer be considered fully vaccinated as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention prepares to “pivot the language.”

Since the COVID-19 vaccines became available, many health officials have been focused on getting all Americans to be fully vaccinated. You are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after you complete your primary series (meaning you’ve received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine), according to the current CDC guidelines.

As booster shots became available, many wondered whether the definition of fully vaccinated would change. In early January, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said it wouldn’t.

Two weeks later, the CDC appears to be changing its mind.

During a Friday press briefing, Walensky said the agency is working to “pivot the language” for being fully vaccinated. She explained that the goal is to ensure Americans are caught up on their vaccines.

“We really want to make sure people are up to date. That means if you recently got your second dose, you’re not eligible for a booster, you’re up to date,” Walensky said. “If you are eligible for a booster and you haven’t gotten it, you’re not up to date and you need to get your booster in order to be up to date.”

The CDC recently released data showing lower case rates among those who have completed their primary series compared to those who are unvaccinated. The data also found “significantly lower case and death rates” among those who have received their booster dose compared to unvaccinated individuals.

According to the CDC, roughly 75% of eligible Americans have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. About 63% are fully vaccinated and less than 40% of those eligible have received their booster dose.

If you are 18-years-old or older, the CDC says you are eligible to receive the Pfizer or Moderna booster shot. Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 who have finished their primary series are only able to get the Pfizer booster.

Which vaccine you received for the primary series affects how soon you can get a booster shot. For those who received Pfizer, you’re eligible for a booster at least five months after completing your two-dose series. For those who received Moderna, you must wait at least six months to receive a booster. If you received Johnson & Johnson, you should get a booster shot after two months.

Coronavirus

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

65°F Sunny Feels like 65°
Wind
0 mph S
Humidity
29%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
47°F Clear to partly cloudy. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph N
Precip
8%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous