After receiving approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on Thursday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended to expand eligibility of a third “booster” dose to 5-to-11-year-olds who received a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (the only vaccine available to those under age 18). Pfizer boosters should be received at least five months after completing an initial COVID-19 vaccine series.

The Chicago Department of Public Health supports these decisions and encourages all eligible Chicagoans, age 5 and up, to get their booster dose now – no matter the type of COVID-19 vaccine they originally received. Anyone who received an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) should get a booster dose five months after the second dose of their original vaccine series. People who received the J&J vaccine should receive a booster at least two months after their initial dose – for these individuals, the CDC prefers either of the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) as a booster dose. Adults 50 years and older, as well as moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals, may receive a second mRNA booster. Find more information about boosters on CDPH’s website.

COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are readily available across the city – in hospitals, physicians’ offices, local pharmacies, through Protect Chicago At Home, pop-up clinics hosted by the City, and more. For more information on boosters and to find your vaccine, visit Chicago.gov/COVIDvax.

All COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are free to everyone. No insurance or government ID required.

# # #