Recently, there has been a change in vaccine eligibility for almost all ages. About a month ago, the booster shot for the Covid-19 vaccine was approved by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer was the first to be approved, with Moderna and Johnson and Johnson following shortly after. People do not have to get the same booster as their original vaccine, they can mix and match the shots as they see fit. However, individuals must wait at least six months from their second shot before getting a booster. At first, only people with underlying health conditions and those over sixty five were eligible for the vaccine. Also, people who live in long term care facilities and people working in high risk settings, such as a hospital, were allowed to get the shot. Earlier this week, boosters were approved for all adults, age eighteen and over.

Additionally, in the beginning of November, the vaccine was authorized to be given to children ages five to eleven. Many parents are relieved that their young children can get the shot. This is especially true for families that have an immunocompromised person living with them. Lauren Rymer lives with her six year old son, Jack, and her mother, who has multiple sclerosis, which puts her at high risk for Covid-19. In a recent New York Times article, she was quoted saying, “This vaccine is much bigger than a shot in the arm. It’s a huge weight off my shoulders.” Now, her son can resume his normal activities, and they do not have to worry about him getting his grandmother sick. Over one million children have received the first shot. Overall, the goal of the boosters and the vaccines for children is to help people get back to some semblance of normalcy.