Metro to begin using newly-authorized boosters on Monday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has expanded the eligibility for COVID-19 booster shots, to include the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines for certain people.

The CDC is also authorizing people to mix-and-match their booster shots.

The Metro Nashville Public Health Department said it would follow the CDC's direction, and start giving out the new boosters on Monday. Currently, Metro does not use the Moderna vaccine, and only gives out the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines at its vaccination clinics and drive-thru sites.

Metro Health officials said there is an ample supply of the Moderna vaccine at area pharmacies, groceries and walk-in clinics.

However, with the new mix-and-match booster authorization, a person who received the Johnson & Johnson one-dose vaccine earlier this year could potentially come to the vaccine clinic and request to get the Pfizer vaccine as their booster.

The CDC's newest authorization calls for people 65 and older who received the Moderna two-dose regimen to receive their booster shots six months or more after the initial series. People age 18 and older are also eligible if they have underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to COVID-19, or if they work or live in high-risk settings.

People age 18 and older who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine are authorized to get a booster two months after getting the first vaccine. Fifteen million Americans received the Johnson and Johnson shot since it became available this year.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, more than 280,000 Tennesseans have already received a COVID-19 booster vaccine. Click here to find out where all three vaccines are offered.