MORGANTOWN – Gov. Jim Justice tried again on Wednesday to make it clear that essentially everyone age 18 and up is eligible for a COVID vaccine booster, despite confusion over CDC guidelines.
He addressed the issue several times, saying even pharmacists have been confused. “It’s hard to watch D.C. and not be continually confused,” he said.
But if you’re 18 and up, and six months past your Pfizer or Moderna or two months past your Johnson & Johnson you qualify under the CDC criteria.
“Unless absolutely you walk into a pharmacy wanting a booster shot and you say you’re Superman and jerk your shirt off and show your red S to the pharmacist, you qualify in every single way,” he said. So, he added, don’t wait for the CDC to clarify its guidelines, get sick and end up in the hospital taking up space other people need.
“I would say if you’re breathing you can get your booster shot. … What in the world are you waiting on?”
Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch said last week and on Tuesday the state texted and robocalled more than 980,000 residents to encourage vaccines and boosters. In response to that, the COVID info call line took more than 1,000 calls the first day; and following both message blitzes, traffic to vaccinate.wv.gov more than doubled.
This direct communication, he said, comes on top of the advertising campaign done via TV, radio, music streaming services, billboards, in-store ads at pharmacies and grocery stores, and in doctors’ offices and hospitals.
Kids are getting COVID, it was pointed out, with DHHR data showing that 26% of new cases are among the 20-and-under age group. This despite the vaccine-eligible age now down to 5.
“I would recommend everyone get the vaccines,” Public Health Commissioner Ayne Amjad said.
TWEET David Beard @dbeardtdp EMAIL dbeard@dominionpost.com
