Sonoma County extends COVID-19 booster eligibility to 16 and 17 year olds

Sonoma County health officials on Friday made local teens aged 16 and 17 eligible for COVID-19 booster shots.

The move comes a day after the federal government recommended the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to boost immunity in adolescents in this age group.

County health officials said the vaccine planning website, MyTurn.ca.gov, is being updated to include expanded eligibility. Parents are encouraged to check with their health care providers to schedule injections.

Officials said scientific data shows the vaccine is both safe and effective for adolescents. “This dramatically reduces the risk of serious illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19,” County health officer Dr Sundari Mase said in a statement.

Eligibility for the Booster now includes all persons 16 years of age and over under the guidelines that have been expanded by the United States Food and Drug Administration. County officials said the guidelines were approved by the Western States Scientific and Safety Review Workgroup, an independent scientific task force that coordinates vaccination policies in California, Washington, Oregon and Nevada.

According to guidelines from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only the Pfizer vaccination booster is available for 16-17 year olds. People 18 and older can use any federally approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Sonoma County said 111,656 booster shots have been given to local residents 18 and older since they were approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC in September and October.

There are 350,459 local residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This equates to 74.5% of the county’s eligible population aged 5 and over. Meanwhile, 40,302 other residents have been partially vaccinated.

You can reach editor-in-chief Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or [email protected]. On Twitter @pressreno.