California expands COVID-19 booster shot access

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California is among three states now allowing coronavirus booster shots for all adults. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, along with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham have taken steps to expand the use of booster shots to quell the recent surge in COVID-19 infections. The move comes even though federal health officials recommend limiting doses to those over 65 and younger people with certain underlying health conditions or whose jobs are high risk for the virus. 

California, along with Colorado and New Mexico, instituted their policies to try to head off a feared surge around the end-of-year holidays when more people are gathering inside. Colorado and New Mexico have among the nation’s highest rates of new infections. California now joins them in the “high” tier for transmission after being lowest in the nation earlier this fall.

In a letter to health providers dated Tuesday, Nov. 9. 2021, Tomas Aragon, the State Public Health Officer, told providers they should "not turn a patient away who requesting a booster" if they are age 18 and up and it has been six months since they had their second Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or two months since their single Johnson & Johnson shot.

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