Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order Nov. 10 allowing any fully vaccinated Colorado adult to receive a COVID-19 booster shot, Rocky Mountain PBS reported.
"The health and safety of Coloradans [have] been my top priority throughout this global pandemic. We want to ensure that Coloradans have every tool they need to protect themselves from this deadly virus and to help reduce the stress on our hospitals and health care workers," Polis said in a media release. "Every Coloradan is now eligible to get the booster so they can protect themselves and their families. I was relieved to get the booster two weeks ago, and strongly encourage you to get it too."
Dr. Eric France, the chief medical officer with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), advised that people should only get boosters if they are 65 or older, have underlying medical conditions or work/live in a high-risk setting. The new executive order from Polis opens boosters to all adults—not just those who fit in the categories listed above.
However, universal adult eligibility for boosters is also happening in other places, such as Chicago. Chicago residents older than 18 won't be turned away from getting COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, as Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said during a Facebook Live event that there's "plenty of availability," NBC 5 Chicago noted.
Arwady noted that those of any age who want to get a third vaccine shot must be six months out from the second dose of their Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. For those who initially received Johnson & Johnson, the wait period is two months.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker recently received a booster shot at Chicago's Mile Square Health Center, The Chicago Sun-Times reported. About 800,000 Illinoisans have already re-upped their protection since booster shots received federal approval in late September.
