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Being “up to date” on COVID-19 vaccinations means getting a booster shot, according to updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But public health officials stopped short of changing the definition of “fully vaccinated” to include boosters.

On Wednesday, the CDC changed its recommendations for vaccinated Americans, urging them to get a booster shot to stay current on COVID-19 vaccinations. 

“CDC recommends that people remain up to date with their vaccines, which includes additional doses for individuals who are immunocompromised or booster doses at regular time points,” the recommendation reads. “Ensure you are optimally protected against COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and staying up to date with a booster dose.”

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated after receiving one dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. 

This caveat means that federal vaccination mandates for travel or employment will not require a booster dose.

“Consistent with how public health has historically viewed or even talked about how we recommend vaccines, we are now recommending that individuals stay up to date with additional doses that they are eligible for,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, M.D., MPH, said during a White House news briefing Wednesday.

Some senior living providers that initially implemented employee vaccination mandates added booster doses to their vaccination requirements when they were approved last fall, or they are considering doing so. 

Integral Senior Living and Solstice Senior Living are among those companies that announced a COVID-19 booster shot mandate for employees “to ensure the continued protection of our residents and one another.” Eventide Senior Living, in its employee COVID-19 vaccine policy, requires all employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine “and any boosters” as advised by the CDC and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. 

The federal government has committed to ensuring that long-term care residents and staff members — including those in assisted living, residential care communities and other senior housing — have access to COVID-19 vaccines and any booster shots. That access has come through established partnerships with long-term care and retail pharmacies, state and local health departments, and the CDC.

The CDC also expanded its recommendation for Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots on Wednesday to include anyone 12 and older.