COVID-19 booster shot for Pfizer, Moderna vaccines will be available Sept. 20

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled plans to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots this fall for Americans who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, eight months after they become fully vaccinated, as cases of the delta variant continue to spread across the country.  

Americans who are eligible can receive a third shot beginning Sept. 20, pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is expected in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services and other administration medical experts. 

The initial doses will go to those who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccine rollout, including health care providers, nursing home residents and other seniors. The administration plans to also begin delivering booster shots directly to residents of long-term facilities, according to the statement.