States are already telling all adults to get third shots

State officials from California to Maine are telling or allowing their adult residents to get a Covid-19 vaccine booster, bucking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reserve the shots for the elderly and other high-risk groups.

Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Mexico, Vermont and West Virginia are promoting the widespread rollout of boosters for any fully vaccinated adult. New York and Rhode Island are asking adults in elevated-exposure areas to get boosted, while New Jersey and Minnesota are planning to expand eligibility in the days ahead. California’s also asking medical providers not to turn away any adults who request a booster.

The CDC approved third doses last month for certain Pfizer and Moderna recipients at least six months after completing their first two shots. That includes those 65 and older, adults with medical conditions known for causing Covid complications, anyone 18 and older working or living in congregate settings and all adult front-line employees experiencing workplace exposure. Boosters are available for all adult Johnson & Johnson recipients as well, at least two months after getting their vaccine.

“Data indicates that the effectiveness of the vaccine deteriorates over time, and so that’s the reason for the booster,” Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said at a briefing Monday. “And we want to make sure everybody that’s 18 and over is eligible and is encouraged to get the booster.”

More than 247,000 Arkansas residents have received an additional dose as of Thursday, according to the state’s online Covid-19 dashboard. Arkansas Department of Health spokeswoman Danyelle McNeill told CNBC in an email Tuesday that “the great majority of adults in Arkansas” were already considered high risk by the CDC before Hutchinson issued his recommendation.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice called Monday for all adults in-state to get their boosters, adding that fully vaccinated residents would be “very foolish” not to register for a supplemental shot. Over 53,400 West Virginia residents have gotten their booster doses, the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources reported Thursday.

“I absolutely believe if you’re 18 years of age, you can get your booster shot,” Justice said at a press briefing Monday.

Governors in Colorado and New Mexico released executive orders last week to formalize booster access for their entire adult populations. More than 292,700 eligible individuals in New Mexico and roughly 781,400 in Colorado have gotten a booster, according to the latest data compiled by both states.

“Case counts are significant, spread rates are far too high, and the Delta variant is far more transmissible than previous variants,” Dr. David Scrase, New Mexico’s…