Put booster shot atop your shopping list
Remember the fervor to get that first vaccine shot? It was like the Christmas toy every kid seemed to want: Zhu Zhu Pets in 2009, or a Furby in 1998, or Mr. Potato Head in 1952.
People were willing to drive long distances to get a vaccine rather than wait for a nearby appointment. Long Islanders crossed the Sound to crash lines in Connecticut.
Then, suddenly, they seemed as popular with the next wave of would-be consumers as that dusty Cabbage Patch Doll in the attic.
Now, at year’s end, Gov. Ned Lamont is working hard to pitch booster shots. They seem about as popular as a sale for accessories to go with that 1975 Pet Rock. It’s also complicated by the reality that not everyone got the same product in the first place.
“If you were vaccinated more than six months ago, get your booster shot,” Lamont said. “If you were vaccinated more than two months ago with Johnson & Johnson, get your booster shot. We are working with the pharmacies right now, if you feel like you might in any way be at risk, get your booster shot.”
Yes, the governor used the same phrase three times in three sentences. In case it slipped by you, it’s pretty simple: Get your booster shot.
The holiday season is packed with distractions, but it’s also a time to reflect on the past. In the case of the pandemic, we need look back no further than 12 months ago, when progress in the war on COVID-19 spiraled. Temperatures are now noticeably dropping in Connecticut, sending more people indoors, where the virus spreads more quickly.
We’re almost a week away from Thanksgiving and the latest numbers portend another spike. The positivity rate in Connecticut is the highest in almost three months. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 were also the highest in nearly a month.
Lamont is trying to maintain Connecticut as a role model for the rest of the nation. In this case, he is being more aggressive, and more clear, than federal regulators. The regulations from the Food and Drug Administration can be confusing even for people who are anxious to get the booster. Regulations limit eligibility for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna booster to people who are 65 and older and have been fully immunized for at least six months, as well as anyone 18 and over with qualifying medical conditions or who work in high-risk settings. Those who received a Johnson & Johnson shot at least two months ago are also eligible.
The FDA was expected to make at least some booster shots available to all adults 18 and up, but Lamont is cutting the line himself by clarifying that anyone who feels they are at risk should go ahead and get the booster. Meanwhile, officials are still chasing residents who still haven’t gotten the first vaccine, as well as the mystery crowd who got a first dose but not a second.
So put that booster shot at the top of your holiday wish list. It’s free, and is a gift for everyone else.
Yes, the governor used the same phrase three times in three sentences. In case it slipped by you, it’s pretty simple: Get your booster shot.