MIDLAND, Texas — On Oct. 20, the CDC announced that if you qualify to get a booster, you can get any vaccine if you are eligible. You must be 6 months out from a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or 2 months out from a Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
"It's okay to mix and match, not between dose one and dose two, just for the booster shot, it's okay to get any booster that's available rather than waiting for the exact same manufacturer," said Dr. Rohith Saravanan of Odessa Regional Medical Center.
That means you have choices.
"If you had a reaction you did not like with one, you might try another," said Val Sparks, Midland Memorial Hospital’s infection preventionist.
The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are the same doses as the first, but the Moderna vaccine is a bit different.
"The Moderna booster is a half dose, previously it was .5 and now we're giving .25 for the booster dose," said Sparks.
The smaller dose is based on studies done and approved by the company, but it's just as effective.
The booster is only available for some people, which includes anyone 65 and older, anyone that has a preexisting condition or anyone who is at high risk of being exposed to COVID-19 at their job. To see the CDC's full list of eligibility, click here.
When it comes down to it, if you're eligible for the booster, take what you can get.
"Whichever is available, it's okay to take, it will still provide the protection you need," said Saravanan.