Mass. begins reporting number of COVID-19 booster shots administered

Lane Turner/Globe Staff

Eligible Massachusetts residents have started receiving their COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, and the state on Thursday released data for the first time showing how many such shots have been administered so far.

The Department of Public Health said in its daily COVID-19 vaccination report on Thursday that 93,344 boosters have been administered in Massachusetts.

The state also reported that 86,751 boosters had been administered as of Wednesday, though it did not provide a day-by-day breakdown for the number of shots reported on previous days.

The new data comes after federal health officials last week authorized a booster shot of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for people once they are six months past the final dose of the company’s two-shot regimen. The recommendation applies to people 65 and older, those with certain medical conditions, and those at higher risk for exposure because of where they live or their jobs.

The CDC said those who should get boosters include people 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, and people 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions that make them more likely to get severely ill. Those who can get boosters are people 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions, “based on their individual benefits and risks,” and people 18 to 64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their “occupational or institutional setting ... based on their individual benefits and risks.”

The medical conditions that may qualify a person for a booster shot include cancer, dementia or other neurological conditions, and liver disease, among others.

Public health officials said that about 600,000 Massachusetts residents are eligible for the shots, which will be available at more than 460 locations, most of them retail pharmacies.

---

Martin Finucane of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.