COVID-19 Booster Doses Available For Eligible New Yorkers

Governor Kathy Hochul says COVID-19 booster doses are now available for eligible New Yorkers.

Hochul says in accordance with CDC's recommendations, there are four groups of New Yorkers who are now eligible for their COVID-19 booster dose:

New Yorkers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine SHOULD receive their booster dose at least six months after their primary vaccine series IF:

• They are 65 years and older or residents in long-term care settings.
• They are 50 - 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions. 

New Yorkers who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine MAY receive their COVID-19 booster dose at least six months after their primary vaccine series IF:

• They are 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, based on your individual benefits and risks.
• They are 18 - 64 years and are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of your occupational or institutional setting, based on your individual benefits and risks. 

"Our top priority remains staying ahead of this constantly changing virus and protecting New Yorkers with effective, long-lasting vaccines," said Hochul. "As we've heard from our federal and State medical and health experts, as with many other vaccines, the protection from the COVID-19 vaccine can wane over time. A booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will help particularly at-risk New Yorkers stay protected from the virus for longer. While the focus of our vaccination effort remains ensuring all unvaccinated New Yorkers get vaccinated, those who are booster eligible should waste no time receiving maximum protection from COVID-19 as soon as possible."

The state has also launched a new website with dedicated information about booster doses.