(Washington, DC) – Today, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose for eligible 12- to 15-year-olds. Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Health, led by Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, are encouraging all 12- to 15-year-olds who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on or before August 6, 2021 to get a booster dose as soon as possible.

Beginning January 6, 2022, all eligible 12- to 15-year-olds will be able to obtain their booster dose at District-operated library walk-up sites, pop-up sites, and pediatric clinics listed on vaccinate.dc.gov.

Currently, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is the only vaccine approved for people younger than 18.

DC Health wants to ensure residents know that the District has plenty of vaccine available and everyone 5 and older is encouraged to get their primary series of the COVID-19 vaccine and those 12 and older get a booster dose as soon as possible. The following populations are currently eligible for a booster dose:

• Anyone 12 or older who received their second dose of Pfizer on or before August 6, 2021
• Anyone 18 or older and moderately or severely immunocompromised who received their third dose of Pfizer on or before August 6, 2021
• Anyone 18 or older who received their second dose of Moderna on or before July 6, 2021
• Anyone 18 or older and moderately or severely immunocompromised who received their third dose of the Moderna vaccine on or before July 6, 2021
• Anyone 18 or older who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on or before November 6, 2021

According to recent CDC data:

• Fully vaccinated people with boosters are 10 times less likely than unvaccinated people to get infected with COVID-19.
• Fully vaccinated people with boosters are 2.5 times less likely to get infected with COVID-19 than fully vaccinated people without boosters, and 4 times less likely to die from COVID-19.
• Fully vaccinated people with boosters are 20 times less likely than unvaccinated people to die from COVID-19.
• Additionally, anyone 65 and older can move to the front of the line at all District-operated walk-up sites listed on vaccinate.dc.gov.

Residents can get a COVID-19 vaccination in the District by doing the following:

• Visit a DC Government walk-up location listed on vaccinate.dc.gov
• Request a vaccination at-home by calling 1-855-363-0333
• Go to a doctor
• Find a local pharmacy and schedule an appointment (vaccines.gov)
• Additionally, all District residents 6 months and older should get vaccinated with the flu vaccine to protect themselves and the health care system this winter.