FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 10, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The CDC on Thursday expanded its COVID-19 booster recommendation for the Pfizer vaccine brand to include ages 16 and older. This comes after Pfizer’s research concluded that a booster shot, following the initial vaccine series, provides protection against the Omicron and Delta variants, as well as other strains of the COVID-19 virus. 

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) supports this action and strongly encourages those ages 16 and 17, as well as all adults, to get their booster shot once they enter the necessary timeframe. 

DHEC has updated its COVID-19 booster page to reflect the new CDC recommendation. The rest of the recommendations for boosters remain the same. 

Booster eligibility/timeframes:

• People ages 16 and up who received the Pfizer-BioNTech are eligible six months after completing the initial vaccination series
• People ages 18 and up who received the Moderna vaccine are eligible six months after completing the initial vaccination series
• People 18 and up who received a single dose of the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine are eligible for a second shot two months after the first shot

CDC also notes that mixing and matching of vaccines for boosters for those 18 and up is ok, as each vaccine brand offers safe, effective protection from a severe case of COVID-19.

DHEC continues encouraging these life-saving vaccines for all eligible ages, which now include ages 5 and up. Visit the DHEC COVID-19 webpage for more information, the locator page to find a nearby place to get vaccinated, or call our Vaccine Information Line at 1-866-365-8110.