COVID booster shots available for newly eligible groups in Contra Costa

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Oct 1, 2021) — Some groups of Contra Costa residents who have received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine can now consider a booster dose if at least six months have passed since they got fully vaccinated.

Pfizer and the other available COVID-19 vaccines continue to provide excellent protection against infection, and especially against serious illness from the virus. But, as with most vaccines, their protection diminishes over time.

Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recommend that certain groups of people who completed a two-dose series of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine receive a booster dose of Pfizer six months afterward or later.

Federal and state health experts have determined that some people who received the Pfizer vaccine should get a booster, including people who are:

• 65 or older, or who live in a long-term care setting
• 50 or older and have underlying health conditions that put them at high risk of serious illness if infected
• 50 or older who are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 due to social inequities, including those from communities of color

Others vaccinated with Pfizer and now eligible for booster doses include people 18 or older with underlying health conditions, or who are at increased risk of exposure to the virus due to their work or living situation. Read the CDPH guidelines for more information.

Other groups

CCHS does not yet have health guidance for any other groups who received Pfizer vaccine, or those who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) – research continues for those vaccines.

If you are fully vaccinated, it is not urgent to get a booster dose – you still have excellent protection against COVID-19.

But if you are eligible, Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) recommends checking with your healthcare provider about how to get a vaccine. Many options for COVID-19 vaccine are easily available across the county, including healthcare providers and local pharmacies. Visit the CCHS Get Vaccinated page for information and links to healthcare providers and pharmacies that provide COVID-19 vaccine near you. Appointments are also available at CCHS clinics, online, or by calling 1-833-829-2626.

So far more than 85% of Contra Costa residents who are 12 or older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 80% are fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated residents are about five times more likely to become infected with COVID-19 in Contra Costa, compared to vaccinated residents, and 16 times more likely to be hospitalized.