WYOMING — As healthcare professionals’ knowledge about COVID-19 changes, so too do health recommendations. The Wyoming Department of Health released updated booster shot recommendations Jan. 7, following updated CDC guidelines.
In accordance with CDC recommendations, the Wyoming Department of Health recommends a booster dose for vaccinated youth ages 12-15. That means a booster is now recommended for anyone over 12 who received their second Pfizer or Moderna dose at least five months ago. Only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized for people 12-17 year olds right now.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH, said recent variant sequencing results combined with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates show the Omicron variant has quickly become the most common version causing new COVID-19 infections in Wyoming.
“We are currently seeing big jumps in Wyoming’s case counts again, likely due to the Omicron variant. This is again not like the COVID-19 we have become familiar with because it spreads much more easily between people,” Harrist said. “Unfortunately, when a virus transmits between people easily more people become infected.”
“While we aren’t yet certain how much severe illness will accompany the increase in cases, we do know vaccines are the best tool we have to protect people from severe illness,” she said. “We continue to encourage eligible adults and children to say yes to free, safe and effective vaccination if they haven’t already and to encourage those eligible for booster doses to get them as soon as possible to enhance and extend their protection.”
Severe illness means a person with COVID-19 may need hospitalization, intensive care or a ventilator to help them breathe, or they may die.
The FDA also announced today that adults who received their second Moderna dose need only wait five months to get their booster dose.
Adults who received a Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine at least two months ago are also eligible for booster doses. Mixing and matching of vaccine types for booster doses is acceptable for adults.
Most children ages 5-11 are eligible for two doses of the Pfizer vaccine meant for that age group if they haven’t yet been vaccinated. A third dose for children in this age group who have moderately or seriously compromised immune systems was also authorized and recommended this week.
The updated booster recommendations from CDC followed authorization by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
This article has been updated with new information from the FDA
