On Friday, Nov. 19, the CDC expanded eligibility for COVID boosters to all adults 18 and older who received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine more than six months ago. Those with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are eligible two months after their shot.
Currently, Cornell does not mandate that students, faculty or staff get boosted, but they are encouraged to do so.
The CDC recommends that unvaccinated adults receive a vaccination as soon as possible and for eligible candidates to get the booster shot. The booster shots are free and will be available across New York. Here are the sites in Ithaca and surrounding counties that offer them. Currently, Cornell has no plans to offer booster clinics on campus.
There are multiple CVS Pharmacy locations in Ithaca and the surrounding area, including the one on 625 W Clinton St. and one on 40 Catherwood Rd., Ithaca inside Target. CVS Pharmacy asks for insurance provider information, but insurance is not necessary to receive the booster shot. These locations offer both the Pfizer and Moderna boosters, depending on the recipient’s choice.
Walgreens offers the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters at the 615 S Meadow St. location in Ithaca. While the CDC allows patients to receive any manufacturer’s booster shot, Walgreens only allows them to schedule a booster from the same manufacturer as their initial vaccine doses.
Kinney Drugs pharmacy has two local locations, one on 513 N Cayuga St, Ithaca, and another on 2255 N Triphammer Rd, Ithaca. They only offer the Moderna booster shot, but their website does not show any available appointments in November or December 2021.
There are multiple Walmart locations near Cornell, and each offers boosters from different manufacturers. For instance, the Walmart on 135 Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway, Ithaca currently offers the Modern and Johnson & Johnson vaccine, but the Walmart on 819 Bennie Rd., Cortland offers the booster from all three manufacturers.
The nearest Rite Aid is located in Cortland. Rite Aid offers booster shots from all three manufacturers. However, they do not allow patients to receive a booster shot from a manufacturer different from the one they had for their initial vaccine series.
If you intend to get your booster shot while away from Ithaca, you can find the nearest location to get one here.