Coronavirus vaccine boosters available for eligible Ohioans age 18 and up, Ohio Department of Health says

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Booster doses of all three coronavirus vaccines are now available for eligible Ohioans ages 18 and up, the Ohio Department of Health announced late Friday afternoon.

Late Thursday, the CDC announced that adults who received a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine can get a booster shot at 6 months or more after the initial series, if they are in one of the following groups:

-65 years and older

-18 years and older who live in long-term care settings

-18 years and older who have underlying medical conditions, ranging from asthma to obesity to stroke survivors

-18 years and older who live or work in high-risk settings, such as first responders, teachers and grocery store workers

-Immunocompromised individuals for whom a third dose of an mRNA vaccine is recommended to complete the primary vaccine series

For the nearly 15 million Americans who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

The Ohio Department of Health, in its Friday statement, said eligible individuals may choose which booster dose they want. But the mix-and-match approach only applies to booster doses and not to the first vaccination series.

At this time, people who received the messenger RNA vaccine, which are the Pfizer and Moderna shots, shouldn’t exceed three doses, the health department said.

Many pharmacies have walk-in and scheduled appointments, as do clinics, doctor’s offices, community vaccination sites and local health departments. The state runs the GetTheShot.coronavirus.ohio.gov website, which shows vaccine eligibility and in some cases lets people book an appointment online. People can also call 1-833-427-5634, a state hotline that has much of the same information as the website.

There continues to be ample supply for Ohioans to get first and second doses of the vaccine, the department said.

Read more:

Ohio drops to 419.2 coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, from last week’s 507.4

Ohio prepares vaccination distribution at schools, hospitals and local doctors offices ahead of expected approval for kids ages 5-11

Lawmakers stop rule change that would have allowed schools to eliminate foreign languages, home ec

Republican lawmakers in Ohio unveil bill prohibiting transgender kids from beginning transition