Moderna, J&J Boosters Now Available In NYC After Federal Approval

NEW YORK CITY — New York City can now dole out thousands of booster shots for all three coronavirus vaccines.

Certain recipients of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines can get boosters under a final federal issued Thursday by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

She also gave the go-ahead to allow “mixing and matching" of that extra dose regardless of which type of vaccine people received first.

“These past 20 months have taught us many things, but mostly to have humility," she told a federal panel. "We are constantly learning about this virus, growing the evidence base and accumulating more data.”

New York City officials had expected and prepared for the federal approval.

City-run vaccination sites had already distributed 168,000 booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine — the first to receive federal approval for people 65 and older, 18- to 64-year-olds with underlying health conditions and workers in high-risk settings.

Now, they'll offer boosters to Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients, said Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner.

"City sites are ready to give you your booster dose TODAY," he tweeted Friday.

Only certain Moderna recipients are eligible for boosters. Like the Pfizer vaccine, the requirements are six months after the second dose for people 65 and older, 18- to 64-year-olds with underlying health conditions and workers in high-risk settings.

All Johnson & Johnson recipients are eligible for a second dose, by contrast.

Find a vaccination site here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.