Following guidance from the State of Maryland, the Cecil County Health Department is opening COVID-19 Pfizer booster shots for all 16- and 17-year-olds. CCHD continues to strongly recommend that all eligible Cecil County Residents get booster shots in order to maintain immunity against severe COVID-19.

On Dec. 9, the FDA authorized the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age at least six months after completion of primary vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine.

Expanding eligibility for boosters to 16- and 17-year-olds is another tool in our arsenal in the fight against COVID-19. This is an opportunity to fully protect the residents of Cecil County against a wave of severe COVID cases and prevent deaths.  With so many unknowns about the Delta and Omicron variants, opening booster eligibility to an expanded population comes at a crucial time. As we approach the holiday season, we at CCHD want everyone to feel safe and protected when they spend time with friends and family, so please get vaccinated, vaccinate your children and do you part to protect your community.

In its announcement, the CDC wrote, “Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting COVID-19,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “As people gather indoors with family and friends for the holidays, we can’t let up on all the preventive public health measures that we have been taking during the pandemic. With both the delta and omicron variants continuing to spread, vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19.”

Please use this link to schedule an appointment today.