NY, NJ now urging COVID booster shots for all adults who want them

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Go ahead and get your COVID booster shots! That's the message now from leaders in New York and New Jersey.

Both states are shifting from CDC recommendations and advising all adult residents to get the extra dose if they want it.

The move comes amid an uptick of cases in New York, which is now reporting a positivity rate of more than 3% and nearly 2,000 hospitalizations.

READ MORE | NYC easing access to booster shots for adults; New Jersey moving in same direction

On Monday, both the mayor of New York City and the governor of New Jersey urged adults over 18 who are already vaccinated to get a booster shot.

NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi said healthcare providers in the city should allow adult patients to determine their own risk of exposure based on their individual circumstances.

That means anyone over 18 can get a booster if they want it, provided it's been at least six months since they finished their two-shot series of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or if it's been two months since they've received the single dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

630,000 New Yorkers have already gotten a booster shot, and with the holidays fast approaching, officials want to quickly increase that number.

"Booster doses are important for people who have a higher risk of exposure," said Chokshi. "It could be because of your living situation, it could be because of your job. But it could also just be based on the level of community transmission or the geography that you're in."

"We live in New York City, so we're all packed together," one resident pointed out. "We need to do even more to protect each other, not just ourselves."

The boosters are of course offered at pharmacies, physicians' offices and vaccination sites.

In the city, you can even schedule an appointment for a booster to be administered at your home.

The number to call is 212-COVID-19.

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New York City COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

New Jersey COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus

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