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CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Director of the COVID-19 Interagency Task Force continues to advocate for citizens around the state to get vaccinated and boosted for COVID-19.
Appearing on MetroNews ‘Talkline,’ Jim Hoyer applauded the move from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for older people and certain immunocompromised individuals.
Hoyer said the second booster doses are available now in West Virginia. Hoyer said there is a ‘vaccine calculator’ on vaccinate.wv.gov to help citizens with scheduling doses.
“You can walk through the process and it’ll help you see when you’re due, what doses are there. You also have the hotline number that is listed there,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer admitted that vaccines have slowed in West Virginia but repeated that they have not stopped. According to the latest report from the state Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR), 57% of state residents 5 years of age and older are fully vaccinated with two doses. 44.2% of that population, 428,355 residents, has received one booster dose.
The FDA amended the emergency use authorizations as follows:
A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine