AUSTIN (KXAN) — After CDC director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation of Pfizer booster shots for certain people, some clinics in Austin are already moving ahead to get those shots in arms.

A spokesperson for CVS Health says they started giving boosters to eligible people today at 495 CVS and MinuteClinic locations across Texas.

“We have the experience and the infrastructure to play a leading role in administering booster shots to eligible populations,” said Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., MPH, Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of CVS Health. “We also continue to make it as convenient as possible for the unvaccinated to receive their first doses.”

Walgreens also announced Friday they would be giving booster shots nationwide starting this weekend.

“In addition to providing booster shots, our pharmacy teams remain readily available to advise patients, address questions and co-administer flu and COVID-19 primary vaccines to help protect our communities,” John Standley, the president of Walgreens, said.

  • Beginning Saturday, appointments for a COVID-19 booster shot and additional immunizations can be scheduled through Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine, by calling 1-800-Walgreens or by calling a local Walgreens store.

Meanwhile, in a media Q&A Friday morning, Austin Public Health leaders said they’re still waiting to roll out their booster shot plan until they get more information from federal agencies and the state.

“We just don’t have the guidance yet,” Dr. Adrienne Sturrup, the interim director of APH, said. She added that when that guidance does make its way down, they’re ready. APH says they opened up two additional vaccination sites in the last two weeks to meet future increased demand.

APH is also already giving third doses to people who are severely immunocompromised. According to their vaccine dashboard, they’ve already given more than 500 of those.

Here’s who is now eligible to receive a booster shot according to the CDC:

  • People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
  • People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine atleast 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
  • People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
  • 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-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Booster shots are not yet available for people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines, though the CDC says they are working in the coming weeks to make those recommendations.