Southern Seven Health Department launches COVID-19 Booster Appointments
The Southern Seven Health Department has announced that it can now schedule appointments for individuals needing to get a COVID-19 booster dose for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
This is in addition to the Pfizer boosters which have been available since the end of September. The appointments will be limited to individuals who are at the highest risk for COVID-19 based on the CDC’s latest recommendations.
The CDC recommends the following individuals get a COVID-19 booster dose:
• People 65+ years of age
• Residents of Long Term Care facilities
• People aged 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions
• People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting (Essential Workers)
• Anyone who received a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine who is 18+ years of age
For those who received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, a single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended greater than or equal to 6 months after completion of the primary dose series.
For Janssen (Johnson and Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine, a single COVID-19 vaccine booster dose is recommended for persons aged 18 years and older, greater than or equal to 2 months after receipt of the initial Janssen dose, under the FDA’s Emergency Use Authorization.
As a reminder, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine Sept. 24, 2021. Those recommendations state that individuals should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.
Many of the people who are now eligible to receive a booster shot received their initial vaccine early in the vaccination program and will benefit from additional protection. A booster shot will help strengthen protection against severe disease in those populations who are at high-risk for exposure to COVID-19 or the complications from severe disease.
If individuals meet the above requirements, they will need to schedule a vaccine appointment with the Southern Seven Health Department by calling (618) 634-2297 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Initially, individuals will be placed on waitlist to receive a callback for appointment scheduling.