Mississippi health officials say booster shots for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are now available at all county health department clinics, and people over the age of 65 are a priority for the extra jab. Photo courtesy Mat Napo on Unsplash

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi health officials say booster shots for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are now available at all county health department clinics, and people over the age of 65 are a priority for the extra jab.

Eligibility for boosters is currently limited to people in that age group as well long-term care facility residents and adults 18 and over with certain underlying medical conditions or who are in occupations that increase their risk of exposure to the virus.

Third shots of Pfizer and Moderna for people with weakened immune systems are also available at county health departments, according to the state department of health.

Vaccination significantly reduces the possibility of hospitalization or death from COVID-19. But seniors constitute the vast majority of the small number of fully vaccinated Mississippi residents who have contracted COVID and died, according to State Epidemiologist Paul Byers. So Byers said people over 65 need to be prioritized for boosters.