COVID-19 Second Booster Vaccinations

This decision follows the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement authorizing a second booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommendations to offer the booster shots. As with vaccines for other diseases, people are best protected against infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 when they stay up to date with vaccinations.

The VA and community retail pharmacies are now accepting appointments for the second COVID-19 booster shot according to the following CDC guidance:

1. A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.
2. A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immune compromise at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine. 
3. A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 4 months after the first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older with certain kinds of immune compromise.
4. A second booster dose may be administered with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after receipt of a booster dose for any person who had Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 for both their initial vaccine and their booster dose.

Scheduling an Appointment in Your Local Community

To find locations where you can receive the second booster near you, visit the CDC Vaccine Finder website at www.vaccinefinder.org, or call 1-800-232-0233. After receiving a booster shot in your community, please bring your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to your next primary care appointment or upload it to your MyHealtheVet account.

Scheduling an Appointment at the VA Maryland Health Care System:

Call the VA Maryland Health Care System’s Appointment Center Monday-Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 410-605-7333 to schedule an appointment to receive a second COVID-19 booster shot at any of our medical centers or community-based outpatient clinics. Appointments are available one day per week between 1 p.m. and 3:20 p.m. at each site. Please bring a copy of your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to your appointment.