Skip to main content

Military Health System

COVID-19 Booster Shots are Now Available – What You Need to Know

Image of Containers of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Each vial contains six doses for vaccination against the COVID-19 virus. Containers of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Each vial contains six doses for vaccination against the COVID-19 virus.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Booster shots of Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine are now available at military medical treatment facility and Department of Defense vaccination sites.

Those eligible for a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot may also get them at commercial sites, such as civilian pharmacies or doctors' offices

All COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer-BioNTech's booster dose, may be given at the same time as the influenza vaccine (or other vaccines which may be due).

Fully vaccinated is still defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as completing the 2-dose series for Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines and the 1 dose for Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.

Booster Shots

Booster shots are now formally recommended for certain groups of people under an Emergency Use Authorization, according to recent announcements from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC.

For now, eligibility for a booster shot is limited to those who previously received a two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for their initial vaccination.

At this time, booster shots are not recommended for those who initially received the Moderna two-dose vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen single-dose vaccine or a mixed series of vaccines. However, those two populations will likely be recommended to receive a booster shot, and a formal recommendation for that may be forthcoming later this year as additional data are reviewed, according to the CDC.

Eligibility to voluntarily receive a single Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine includes people who are:

  • 65 years and older and residents in long-term care facilities
  • 18 and older in long-term care settings
  • 50-64 with underlying medical conditions
  • 18-49 with underlying medical conditions based on their individual benefits and risks
  • 18-64 who are at increased risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional settings such as teachers, frontline health care workers and essential workers, and those incarcerated, based on their individual benefits and risks.

To become eligible for a booster shot, there is a there is a six-month waiting period after the completion of the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech 2-dose vaccine.

Booster doses are not currently part of the DOD or federal worker mandates for COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

Proof of an underlying condition or an occupational risk is not required to receive a booster dose at an MTF or DOD vaccination site, and self-reporting of a condition eligible for a booster shot is allowed at any site where vaccines are available.

Comirnaty

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is also known as the "Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty vaccine." The initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was authorized for use under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization earlier this year, and the same vaccine assumed the new name, Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty, when it was fully approved by the FDA on Sept. 23. The two vaccines may be used interchangeably.

The COVID-19 shot being administered
Air Force Maj. Carla Cox, 59th Medical Wing commander’s executive officer, provides a COVID-19 vaccine to a San Antonio Military Health System beneficiary at Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Amanda Stanford)

The Comirnaty name (pronounced koe-mir' na tee) was developed from taking the Co from COVID-19, followed by the mRNA in the middle and ending with the 'ty' as a nod to immunity and community.

Third Shot vs. Booster

There is an important distinction between "booster shots" and "an additional dose."

A booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for certain individuals at least six months after the second dose of the two dose Pfizer-BioNTech series. A booster shot aims to increase, or "boost", waning immunity observed over time, especially in those 65 years and older and residents of long-term care facilities. A familiar analogy of a booster shot may be the tetanus booster that is recommended every 10 years.

The option for an "additional dose" of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) was recommended in August for a comparatively smaller group of people who have compromised immune systems. This, unlike the booster dose, is because the primary 2-dose series of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna may not have resulted in a good enough antibody response; therefore an additional dose is recommended. The timing of an "additional dose" is at least 28 days after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine.

What about Moderna or Janssen Booster Doses?

Health officials may soon make a decision about whether to expand the recommendation for a booster beyond just those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Moderna has already submitted data to the FDA for booster authorization. "A decision is expected soon," National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins said Sept. 28. Earlier in September, J&J/Janssen submitted new data in support of a booster for its vaccine.

It's Time to Get Vaccinated

Both FDA and CDC noted that the populations most vulnerable to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that causes COVID-19 continue to be those who are unvaccinated, and the nation's priority should remain getting everyone vaccinated with their primary series.

The approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccines continue to be effective in reducing severe, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, even against the dominant Delta variant.

Most COVID-19 severe cases, hospitalizations, and deaths occur among the unvaccinated, around 99% of the time.

Hospitalizations rates are 10 to 22 times higher among unvaccinated adults compared to vaccinated adults, according to the CDC.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the FDA Vaccines and Related Biologicals Advisory Committee will continue to follow the scientific data, and evidence will inform booster shot recommendations beyond the current ones.

Experts are looking at all available data to understand how well current vaccines are working for different populations - including looking at new variants Delta and Mu - to see how they affect vaccines' effectiveness.

While the COVID-19 vaccines currently available work to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and deaths, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild to moderate disease.

"FDA and CDC have determined these booster shots can begin, based on the latest data and evidence, after a thorough, independent and transparent process of evaluating safety and effectiveness," the White House said in a Sept. 24 statement.

You also may be interested in...

Consolidated Department of Defense Coronavirus Disease 2019 Force Health Protection Guidance

Policy

Consolidates and updates the Department’s guidance regarding vaccination verification, vaccination status, COVID-19 testing, surveillance and screening testing, personnel protection on-site mask requirements, (e.g., DHA military medical treatment facilities, meetings, travel), and the protection of personally identifiable information.

DHA-IPM 20-004: Department of Defense (DOD) Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program Implementation

Policy

Establishes the Defense Health Agency’s procedures to implement instructions, assign responsibilities, and prescribe procedures for the DHA’s implementation of the DOD’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination Attestation, Screening Testing, and Vaccination Verification

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance on the implementation of vaccination, attestation, and testing requirements in accordance with the References listed in Attachment 1 to reduce the transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Medical Logistics Guidance for the DoD Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Program

Policy

Establishes the DHA's procedures for ordering, receiving, and managing COVID-19 Vaccines inventory and ancillary kits for enduring COVID-19 support.

TAB A MEO COVID19 Medical Coding Policy

Policy

Memorandum for DHA Staff - Military Medical Treatment Facilities to Implement Updated DHA COVID-19 Medical Coding Policy

DHA COVID19 Medical Coding PolicyV5 1v

Policy

Establishes the DHA procedures to standardize the coding for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) within military medical treatment facilities (MTFs). This memorandum replaces DHA-Policy Memorandum 20-003 of July 1, 2020. Attachment 1 was updated to include the 2021 procedure and diagnosis codes for COVID-19, including the new vaccination and treatment codes.

Supplemental Guidance for Providing DOD Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccines to DOD Contractor Employees and Select Foreign Nationals

Policy

This memorandum provides supplemental guidance on the provision of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines, in accordance with reference (a). The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is the lead coordinating DOD Component for executing this guidance, in coordination with the Military Departments and other DOD Components as appropriate.

HA Guidance for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Laboratory Pre-Testing Questionnaire

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance for a COVID-19 laboratory pre-testing questionnaire that will be mandatory for all Active Duty Service members and encouraged for all other DOD beneficiaries treated at military medical treatment facilities.

Executive Order on Ensuring Access to United States Government COVID-19 Vaccines

Policy

This EO outlines who should receive priority access to COVID-19 vaccines developed in the United States or procured by the United States Government (“United States Government COVID-19 Vaccines”).

Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccine Guidance

Policy

This memorandum provides guidance on the provision of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is the lead coordinating DOD Component for executing this guidance, in coordination with the Military Departments and other DOD Components.

Return to the Workplace Staffing Plan in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Environment

Policy

Establishes the DHA's plan to return to full operations and support the whole-of-government response, during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic

Military Medical Treatment Facilities to Implement Updated DHA COVID-19 Medical Coding Policy

Policy

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) Memorandum, based on the authority of References (a) and (b), and in accordance with the guidance of References (c) and (d), establishes the DHA’s procedures to standardize the coding for Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) Military Medical Treatment Facilities (MTFs). This memorandum cancels and replaces DHA- Policy Memorandum 20-003 of (13 April 2020). A change was issued since the cancelled Memorandum 20-003 of (13 April 2020), the Attachment titles were updated to reflect that Attachments 1, 2, and 4 are considered Policies as opposed to Guidance.

Showing results 1 - 12 Page 1 of 1
Refine your search
Last Updated: January 26, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery