Who is eligible for another COVID-19 booster in Oklahoma and when?
The vast majority of Oklahomans eligible for another COVID-19 booster have not received one, according to data shared by the state Department of Health.
Of the approximately 446,000 residents eligible for another booster, only about 50,000 – or 11% – have received another booster.
These data run until April 26, and they do not include other booster doses given through federal entities such as the Bureau of Prisons or the Indian Health Service.
The state’s COVID-19 vaccination rate has dropped dramatically since vaccines first became widely available in the spring of 2021. As of May, about 57% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated, and of these people, about 38% have received a booster dose, per. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The immunity a person receives after being infected with COVID-19 decreases over time, as does the immunity to being vaccinated. So health experts have urged people to stay up to date with their COVID-19 shots to reduce their risk of some of the worst outbreaks of COVID-19, including hospitalization or death.
It may feel less urgent for some now that COVID-19 cases are low.
Although testing is also much lower now than it was at the beginning of the year, Oklahoma last week reported about 1,600 active COVID-19 cases nationwide, compared to over 88,000 active cases in mid-January.
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Data on how much extra protection another booster shot can offer “is not great,” said Dr. Dale Bratzler, Chief COVID Officer at the University of Oklahoma.
“It increases your ability to have fewer symptomatic infections, but we know it appears to be relatively short-lived,” he said in a recent call from the Healthier Oklahoma Coalition.
But especially for people who are at high risk for COVID-19, it is wise to get a new booster, Bratzler said.
“We know that age was the biggest prediction for death from COVID-19,” he said. “For older people, I strongly encourage them to get a new booster, and especially if you are immunocompromised or have underlying medical conditions that put you at increased risk.”
Although there has been talk of updating COVID-19 vaccine formulations to better match the variants currently circulating, trials are still ongoing. In Oklahoma and elsewhere in the United States, vaccines available now are still the original vaccine formulations.
The State Department of Health urged people to get vaccinated, including people eligible for boosters.
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“We know that getting a booster dose of the vaccine provides increased protection against someone being hospitalized or dying from COVID,” a department spokesman said. “There is ample supply of vaccine throughout the state for Oklahomans seeking a booster dose.”
To find a vaccination site near you, go to vaccines.gov or vaccinate.oklahoma.gov.
Booster eligibility
Here’s who’s eligible for another booster:
- Adults 50 and older
- Anyone aged 12 and over who has a moderate or severe immune system
- People who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for both their primary vaccine dose and their first booster
Individuals in these groups are eligible for another booster at least four months after their first booster.
Those eligible for a first booster are:
- People who received their primary series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines at least five months ago. (For immunocompromised individuals, a first booster is available at least three months after their primary series.)
- People who received their primary dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.
Pfizer boosters are available for children ages 12-17, but boosters are not recommended for any children in the age group 5-11.
For more details on who is eligible for a booster and when, go to the CDC website.