Connecticut governor says boosters needed for people to be fully vaccinated

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) says he believes booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine are needed to qualify a person as fully vaccinated.

“We’re 11 months into the vaccination program. In my view, if you were vaccinated more than six months ago, you’re not fully vaccinated,” Lamont said Wednesday while urging people to get vaccinated, NBC Connecticut reported.

“If you were vaccinated more than six months ago, now is the time and go get that booster. I urge you to get it now,” he added.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) also said Wednesday that she believes full vaccination against the coronavirus now means that people have a booster shot.

Federal officials have considered full vaccination to be two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Lamont stressed the importance of getting added protection heading into the holidays, when people gather together and travel to different parts of the country.

“Get it before Thanksgiving, before Christmas, before all those holidays, before we see what’s going on in Maine and Vermont and Rhode Island, New York, all around us, and we’ll be ready,” the governor said, according to the NBC affiliate.

Lamont earlier this month took to Twitter to tout his state’s relatively low infection rate. 

Connecticut has the lowest infection rate in the region — let’s work together to keep it that way.
Get your child vaccinated and get your booster so we don’t become a deeper shade of red like our neighbors.https://t.co/788rUkqeUw pic.twitter.com/V9rDVhGbLm

— Governor Ned Lamont (@GovNedLamont) November 12, 2021

Lamont said this week he would not issue an executive order on boosters because he expects guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) soon, The Hartford Courant reported. 

“The CDC’s confusing guidance is going to be made clear within 24 hours that says ‘go get yourself a booster shot if you’re over 18 and it’s been at least six months since your last vaccination,’ ” he added, according to the newspaper.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to authorize boosters of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for all adults this week. If both the FDA and CDC move forward, any American 18 years of age or older who received their second Pfizer shot six or more months ago will be eligible to get a booster dose.

Several governors have issued their own executive orders allowing residents of their states to receive booster shots if they so choose, including Colorado, California, New York, West Virginia, Arkansas, Minnesota, Maine, Kansas, Kentucky and New Mexico.