Arkansas opens boosters to all adults

Arkansas will become the latest state to allow any adult to be eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) announced during a news conference Monday that he is directing the Arkansas Department of Health to issue new guidance.

Boosters will be available to adults in Arkansas six months after the second dose of the mRNA vaccines and two months after the single dose of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.

Several other states, including California, Colorado, New Mexico and West Virginia, have expanded booster eligibility to all adults. 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki, however, said earlier this month that governors should still be following federal guidance. 

“This isn’t currently the guidance that’s being projected by our health and medical experts, and we would continue to advise leaders across the country to abide by public health guidelines coming from the federal government,” she said.

In October, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded eligibility for boosters to adults with underlying conditions, but it fell short of allowing any adult to receive them.

Hutchinson’s decision in Arkansas comes amid concerns about a potential winter surge in COVID-10 cases. The World Health Organization has said that the United States should take notice of the current COVID-19 uptick in Europe. 

Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, has said unvaccinated people pose a health risk in regards to another potential COVID-19 wave, adding that the risk will fall when more Americans are vaccinated.