OLYMPIA, WA — As of Saturday, anyone 18 years old or older in Washington state is now eligible to take a COVID-19 booster shot.

Previously, booster shots had been limited to older, high-risk patients or employees in large congregate settings, but as of the Washington State Department of Health’s announcement this weekend, those restrictions have been lifted. The DOH says the new recommendation brings the state in line with guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunizations Practices, and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup.

“The COVID vaccines continue to amaze me as a scientific success,” said Gov. Jay Inslee in a statement. “As we head into winter, we want to make sure to have as much protection against COVID as we can. Now that boosters are available to all adults, I hope everyone will take advantage of them.”

Under the change, anyone 18 or older can receive a booster shot if:

• It has been six months since they received their final dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.
• It has been two months since they received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

While all Washington adults are now free to seek a booster dose, the DOH says that patients who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, patients who are 50 or older, or those who live in in a long-term care facility should consider getting the booster as soon as possible.

“We want people to be as safe and as healthy as possible. Expanding booster eligibility to all adults will further protect families, especially as we gather for the holidays,” said Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH. “We know COVID-19 vaccines work, and boosters further increase immunity and protection. If you are 18 or older, and enough time has passed, I strongly encourage you to get a booster dose.”

Booster doses do not need to be the same type of vaccine as the initial rounds; a patient who received two Pfizer doses six months ago could get a Moderna shot today, and vice versa. Already, the DOH says 860,000 people across Washington have either taken a booster dose or a third shot of the COVID vaccine.