WashU Med strongly encourages all faculty, staff and students to get a booster ASAP, and to have your families get it, too. Boosters reduce the risk of severe illness, help protect against COVID-19 variants, including omicron, and prevent the need to quarantine after exposure to COVID-19.
Initial boosters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends boosters for adults age 18 and older on the following schedule
- Five months after the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine
- Six months after the second dose of the Moderna vaccine
- Two months after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine
Additional boosters
The CDC has expanded eligibility for an additional booster dose for certain individuals who may be at higher risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. People over the age of 50 can now get an additional booster four months after their prior dose to increase their protection further. The second booster must be an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
Where to get your booster
Individuals are not required to receive their COVID-19 booster vaccination at the same location that they received their first series of the vaccine, and adults can also receive a booster dose from a different manufacturer than the vaccine they previously received.
If you get your booster outside of WashU Med/BJC HealthCare
BJC and WashU Med employees can receive the Pfizer COVID-19 booster at the BJC Medical Group Walk-In Clinic located on the second floor of the BJC Institute of Health (IOH), Suite 2710. Vaccine hours are 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Walk-ins are accepted during these hours. Please bring your employee badge and vaccine card.
Additionally, the COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Center for Advanced Medicine is accepting walk-ins from 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. in addition to scheduled appointments available from 8 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Located on the third floor, the vaccine clinic is open Monday – Friday to employees and the general public ages 18 and up.
To find other locations, or a Moderna vaccine site, visit vaccinatestl.org, or vaccines.gov. You can also text your ZIP code to 438829 or call 1-800-232-0233 to find locations.
Pfizer boosters are available from BJC HealthCare at multiple public locations. Please schedule an appointment online.
If you are exempt
Individuals who have already been approved for a COVID-19 vaccine exemption are not expected to receive a booster or request an additional exemption.