With a second booster now authorized for some, the question is when to get it [Updated]

Enlarge / A health worker administers a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to an elderly resident at Ichilov medical center in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021. (credit: Getty | Bloomberg)

Update 3/29/2022, 4 pm ET: Swiftly following authorization from the Food and Drug Administration earlier Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is updating its recommendations to allow people ages 50 and up as well as certain immunocompromised people to receive a second booster dose of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

"Today, CDC expanded eligibility for an additional booster dose for certain individuals who may be at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement. "Boosters are safe, and people over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster 4 months after their prior dose to increase their protection further. This is especially important for those 65 and older and those 50 and older with underlying medical conditions that increase their risk for severe disease from COVID-19 as they are the most likely to benefit from receiving an additional booster dose at this time. CDC, in collaboration with FDA and our public health partners, will continue to evaluate the need for additional booster doses for all Americans."

The agency also announced that adults who received a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and a Johnson & Johnson booster dose more than four months ago are now also eligible to get a second booster dose using an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna).

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