Governor makes plea for West Virginians to get booster shot

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) â€" Gov. Jim Justice made another plea for more West Virginians to get their COVID-19 booster shot, noting that only a fraction of the state’s vaccinated population has so far received the extra shot.

“You have got to get that booster shot,” Justice said Friday. “Our medical experts would look right at you and say if you’re six months out from your initial vaccines, and you have not gotten your booster shot, you may be no better off than those who never got vaccinated.”

More than 48,000 West Virginians have received their booster shot, the governor said.

“We’re sitting at less than 5% of vaccinated people that have gotten their booster shot,” he said. “We’re making progress, but it’s just too slow.”

West Virginia Joint Interagency Task Force Director Jim Hoyer pointed to statistics showing an increase in the number of vaccinated people being hospitalized. He added that “we know that we must get that turned around.”

“Based on the information put out by the CDC and FDA, most all West Virginians age 18 and above are now eligible for a booster and we encourage everyone to get a booster,” Hoyer said.

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