KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Wyandotte County will begin offering COVID-19 booster vaccinations to people 12 years and older beginning Friday, according to the Unified Government Public Health Department.

This comes after the authorization from the FDA and recommendations by the CDC and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment expanding booster eligibility to include 12-15-year-olds.

Booster shots are seen as a key tool to fight the omicron variant, which has shown a heightened ability to infect people who have two shots, though vaccinated people still have important protection against severe disease.

People ages 12 and older who previously received the Pfizer vaccine are eligible to receive a
booster five months after their second dose. People ages 12-17 may only receive a Pfizer booster at
this time.

COVID-19 boosters for people 12 and older will be available at the vaccination locations at the former Kmart site located off 78th Street and State Avenue and the UG Public Health Department building near Sixth Street and Ann Avenue.

The FDA said the decision on boosters for 12-15 year-olds was based on real-world data from 6,300 people in Israel.