If you would like to get your COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, here's the info on whether you are eligible, according to the Governor's website.

If you belong to one of these groups, you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster immediately:

- New Yorkers aged 65 years and older, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- New Yorkers in long-term care facilities, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- New Yorkers ages 50 to 64 years who have underlying medical conditions, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- New Yorkers ages 18 to 49 years who have underlying medical conditions, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine
- New Yorkers ages 18 to 64 years, who have an increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to their occupation, who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

You must have received your Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least six months or more ago. Residents who received the Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson are not eligible at this time.

New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker encouraged unvaccinated people to get the vaccine and those eligible for the booster to get it,

"The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be remarkably effective at preventing severe cases and hospitalization," said Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. "After reviewing data from New York State, across the United States and around the world, our federal and State health experts including New York State's Clinical Advisory Committee agree: more vulnerable New Yorkers can keep their protection up by getting a booster dose at least six months after they complete their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine series. Eligible New Yorkers should receive their booster dose or consult with their primary health care provider if they have questions. There are many vaccines that require more than one or two doses for lasting protecting, including the tetanus, measles-mumps-rubella, and Hepatitis A and B shots."

New York has launched a website to specifically address questions about the COVID-19 vaccine booster. You can visit it here.

New York's first woman Governor, Kathy Hochul, spoke about ensuring that distribution of the vaccine booster is equitable for all New Yorkers,

"Our top priority remains staying ahead of this constantly changing virus and protecting New Yorkers with effective, long-lasting vaccines. As we've heard from our federal and State medical and health experts, as with many other vaccines, the protection from the COVID-19 vaccine can wane over time. A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will help particularly at-risk New Yorkers stay protected from the virus for longer. While the focus of our vaccination effort remains ensuring all unvaccinated New Yorkers get vaccinated, those who are booster eligible should waste no time receiving maximum protection from COVID-19 as soon as possible."

 

Credit: Governor Kathy Hochul via Youtube

Almost 80,000 Fully Vaccinated People in New York State Have Gotten COVID-19

Nearly 80,000 New Yorkers who have tested positive for COVID-19 are fully vaccinated. Breakthrough cases reported to the New York State Health Department were 78,416, as of September 20, 2021, according to Governor Kathy Hochul's COVID-19 update,

The breakthrough data shows that as of September 20, 2021, the New York State Department of Health is aware of 78,416 laboratory-confirmed breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among fully-vaccinated people in New York State, which corresponds to 0.7% of fully-vaccinated people 12-years or older. Also, 5,555 hospitalizations with COVID-19 among fully-vaccinated people in New York State, which corresponds to 0.05% of the population of fully-vaccinated people 12-years or older.

On December 11, 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration for emergency use in people 16 years of age or older. However, it wasn't until the spring of 2021 that the multiple vaccines were approved by the FDA and administered to the masses.

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