How a person is considered "fully vaccinated" in New York may not include a booster dose for a while as many health care workers did not complete a two-shot sequence until earlier this fall, Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Friday.
Hochul, speaking in a CNN interview, said the state will at some point consider full vaccination to include a booster dose.
Health care workers were required to receive their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27. A person is not eligible for either the Pfizer or Moderna booster dose until six months after the second dose was administered.
New York health officials have urged people who have not been vaccinated to do so, as well as for people to get their booster shot as the omicron variant of COVID-19 is believed to be spreading rapdily.
Hochul this week placed an indoor mask mandate back in effect unless a business or public gathering space requires people to show proof of vaccination.
The goal of the efforts is to keep businesses and schools open. Hochul on Friday said a majority of school districts are working to implement a "test-to-stay" program that allows students to remain in school if they test negative following a COVID exposure.