Certain groups of residents can now get the free third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Hy-Vee pharmacies.

The new booster is recommended for Pfizer vaccine recipients at least six months after their second vaccine dose. These include long term care facility residents, those 65 years and older, those 18 and older with underlying medical conditions, and those 18-64 years old who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational exposure or institutional setting. At this time Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccine recipients will not be administered booster doses until authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state coronavirus dashboard shows that 63% of Washington County residents 18 and older and 60% of those 12 and older are fully vaccinated. Individuals are strongly recommended to schedule their third-dose vaccination in advance.