PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island officials are encouraging both 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds to get COVID-19 vaccine booster shots as soon as possible, with Gov. Daniel J. McKee and the R.I. Department of Health announcing expanded eligibility for teenagers on Friday.
The announcement followed a statement from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday recommending booster doses for everyone 16 years old and older.
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“If you are eligible, get that booster and encourage friends and family to sign up today,” McKee said. “To fully protect ourselves and our loved ones against delta, omicron and other variants, it’s time to double down and get a boost.”
Prior to Friday’s announcement, booster doses were only available in Rhode Island for people 18 years old and older.
Only the booster vaccine made by Pfizer Inc. is being administered to teenagers in the state, according to the R.I. Department of Health. State officials said a 16- or 17-year-old who received a Pfizer or Moderna Inc. primary vaccine series at least six months ago can now get a Pfizer booster, while those who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccination can get a Pfizer booster dose two months after their initial shot.
“Booster doses for everyone who is eligible is critical to strengthen protection against omicron and other variants, and to keeping individuals and communities as safe as possible,” said R.I. Director of Health Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott. “COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and accessible all throughout Rhode Island. I’m urging parents and families to get their 16- and 17-year-olds boosted as soon as possible.”
The Department of Health said Rhode Island has been experiencing “high levels of COVID-19 community transmission” since August, with a significant increase in the transmission rate occurring during the last few weeks, while the threat of the omicron variant of COVID-19 is rising.
“With expected new variants, people spending more time indoors and the high rate of community transmission, hospitalizations in Rhode Island are predicted to increase over the coming weeks and into early 2022,” the Department of Health said in a statement. “Although the dominant strain of COVID-19 is the delta variant, the omicron variant has been identified in neighboring states and is expected to cause a significant number of COVID-19 infections in Rhode Island within the coming weeks and months. Booster doses are a critical tool to help limit spread and prevent serious illness.”
Marc Larocque is a PBN staff writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockPBN.
