(Winchester, Va.) —  Beginning immediately, the Virginia Department of Health’s Lord Fairfax Health District (LFHD) will offer vaccine boosters for the Pfizer-BioNTechCOVID-19 vaccine in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) below. The booster vaccine can be obtained anytime after 6 months from the date of second Pfizer vaccine.  Please note that only those who have received two shots of Pfizer vaccine and meet the following criteria are eligible:

• people 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer primary series
• people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer primary series
• people aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks
• people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizerprimary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Lord Fairfax Health District (LFHD) encourages all eligible persons to get their COVID-19 vaccine if they haven’t already done so. To find a vaccination site near you, visitvase.vdh.virginia.gov or visitwww.vaccines.gov.

“The COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness may decrease slowly after six months, but people still have strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death,” said Dr. Colin Greene, director of LFHD. “The CDC recommends that the booster dose be given six months or more after the second shot, but individuals who have not yet received a booster will still be considered fully vaccinated.”

LFHD will offer COVID-19 boosters on a walk-in basis at all five local health department clinics.  Look for the sign outside the clinic.

Again, those who received Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are not authorized for booster doses at this time.  We expect additional recommendations regarding these vaccines in the coming weeks.

If you are coming for your booster dose, wear a mask and please bring your vaccine card to confirm the date and type of vaccine you received for your second dose.  We recommend you wait at the clinic site for 15 minutes after receiving the booster dose.

For more information on COVID-19 in Virginia, visit vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus. Find convenient, free vaccination locations near you by visiting vaccinate.virginia.gov or calling 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682, TTY users call 7-1-1).