Minnesota 16- and 17-year-olds can now get a COVID-19 booster
Minnesota 16 and 17 year-olds are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine.
Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that the Pfizer booster shot would be made available to 16 and 17 year-olds in the state.
The announcement comes after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Thursday that 16 and 17-year-olds receive the Pfizer booster. The Pfizer booster is currently the only vaccine booster recommended for those under 18.
Those over the age of 18 may receive any brand of booster shot, regardless of what they initially received.
You can find a local vaccine provider here.
“Boosters are a vital part of staying best protected against COVID-19," Walz said in a statement.
"As we continue to battle this current surge, face uncertainty with the Omicron variant, and prepare to gather indoors with loved ones for the holidays, every Minnesotan 16 and older should get their booster as soon as they are due."
The state’s community vaccination site at Mall of America will be among those offering the Pfizer shot to 16 and 17-year-olds.
Minnesota detected the first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant last week, which some small studies indicate could be more transmissible than other variants.
Preliminary data from Pfizer also suggests that while two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine aren’t as effective at preventing infection from the Omicron variant, a booster provides enough additional antibodies to "neutralize" the virus.
In Minnesota, around 40% of adults, or 1.32 million people, have received a booster dose, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
