All Mississippi residents over the age of 18 are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot after the Mississippi Department of Health on Monday expanded eligibility guidelines.

Pfizer or Moderna boosters are available for all adults who have previously received two shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and for whom it’s been at least six months since their last shot.

 Johnson and Johnson boosters are available for those who previously received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine and for whom it has been at least two months since their last shot.

MSDH reported booster appointments, as well as first and second vaccine dose appointments are available at all county health departments. Appointments can be made by calling the state’s COVID019 hotline at 877-978-6453 or by visiting covidvaccine.umc.edu.

The expanded eligibility comes as health officials work to assess the risks of a new coronavirus variant. The Omicron variant is thought to have originated in South Africa and has since spread to some European countries.

On Monday, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said no cases of the Omicron variant had been reported in the U.S. but warned the virus would eventually appear.

Health officials at the state and local levels continue to urge residents to get vaccinated as a first line of defense against the coronavirus. Vaccination rates in Mississippi, however, continue to lag behind with just 47% of residents being fully vaccinated compared to 59% nationwide.

In Lauderdale County, 46% of residents are fully vaccinated and 51% have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 776,000 americans since it began in early 2020. In Mississippi, more than 10,200 deaths have been caused by the virus, and the state has seen more than 513,000 confirmed cases.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots, visit msdh.ms.gov.