Washington state offers COVID-19 booster shots: Who qualifies and where to get one

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently amended its emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, saying a single dose of the vaccine can be administered as a booster to further protect Americans against the coronavirus.

Research suggests the efficacy of COVID vaccines wane over time, which is especially concerning at a point when the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus — thought to be twice as contagious as other strains — is running rampant across the U.S.

The Pfizer vaccine is administered in two doses. The initial dose exposes a person to the virus, allowing their body to develop antibodies that fight off the disease. The second dose bolsters the body’s immune response to the virus, which adds an additional layer of protection. But that level of protection degrades over time, and the booster shot is used to refresh it.

“So this booster shot, instead of exposing someone to COVID, exposes them to the antigens in the vaccine,” Dr. Shireesha Dhanireddy, the medical director of the infectious disease clinic at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, told the SeattlePI. “Those antigens say, ‘Hey, wake up memory, and make more of these antibodies,’ so that if you do get COVID, your immune system has been revved up again.”

Currently, booster shots are recommended only for select individuals who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. The CDC says that those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine will likely need an additional shot, and expects data on those vaccines’ efficacy as a booster to be released soon.

Keep reading for everything you need to know about getting a COVID-19 booster shot in Washington.

Who is eligible to receive a COVID booster shot?

Again, only people who received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago qualify to get a booster shot.

From there, Dhanireddy split the eligible persons into two groups: Those who should get the booster, and those who may get the booster.

Those who should get the booster shot are anyone over the age of 65, anyone living in a long-term care facility, and anyone between the ages of 50 and 64 who has an underlying medical condition.

Dhanireddy said it’s likely that those people’s immune response has weakened over time — especially if they got vaccinated in January — and they could be at risk of becoming seriously ill if they catch COVID, even if they’ve been vaccinated.  

Those who may get the booster are anyone between the ages of 18 and 49 with an underlying medical condition, and anyone between the ages of 18 and 64 who works in places where they’re at a high risk of catching COVID, such as schools, health care facilities, childcare centers, correctional institutions and homeless shelters.

“It’s an individual risk benefit assessment for them,” Dhanireddy said. “They may get vaccinated, so we are not going to withhold that vaccine from them. If they want to get, they can, and they can choose not to.”

What if I didn’t get the Pfizer vaccine? Can I still get a booster?

Those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine do not currently qualify for a booster. Pfizer boosters are approved for emergency use because the company submitted booster data to the FDA first, and the CDC expects Moderna and Johnson & Johnson to submit their booster data to the FDA soon.

Dhanireddy does not recommend attempting to get a Pfizer booster if you received one of the other vaccines.

“Don’t run out and mix and match doses yet,” she said. “We will have some additional information soon.”

Why weren’t boosters approved for everyone who wants one?

Dhanireddy said she thinks the main reason is because the vaccines work well in protecting most people from COVID, even if their efficacy tends to erode over time.

“We know that these vaccines really work,” she said. “These vaccines are highly effective, particularly mRNA vaccines. We know the initial efficacies are very, very high.”

She also pointed out that one current qualification for boosters — anyone between the ages of 18 and 49 with an underlying medical condition — can be interpreted broadly. The CDC classifies common things such as cigarette use, obesity and pregnancy as underlying medical conditions.

“There are some individuals who are younger that may have severe underlying medical problems that if they do get COVID, they may get more sick,” Dhanireddy said. “Even hypertension or high cholesterol are considered risk factors.”

She said she expects boosters to eventually become available to anyone who wants one.

Where can I get a booster shot?

For the most part, shots are available at the same locations where people got their first and second doses — including places like CVS, Walgreens and in-store pharmacies at grocery stores like Safeway and Walmart.

King County recently reopened 17 of its government-operated vaccine clinics throughout the area to help administer boosters. Seattle will also reopen three additional clinics this month. Those clinics will serve West, Central and South Seattle.

Just like the initial doses, booster shots are free and do not require health insurance.

You can make an appointment by visiting King County’s website or vaccines.gov.