COVID Boosters: All You Need to Know
Health
By EMILY BUSH/Staff Writer
With the aftermath of the pandemic, the first wave of vaccines proving to be effective, and many wondering what the next step would be to protect friends and family, booster shots are now available for recipients of all three vaccine types.
However, it can be confusing to navigate which kind you need or to know if you are even eligible to schedule your appointment and receive one.
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According to the CDC webpage, those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines are eligible if they are:
- Older adults age 65 years and older
- Long-term care setting residents ages 18 years and older
- Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
- Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings, which can consist of some of the following:
- First responders (e.g., healthcare workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff)
- Education staff (e.g., teachers, support staff, daycare workers)
- Food and agriculture workers
- Manufacturing workers
- Corrections workers
- U.S. Postal Service workers
- Public transit workers
- Grocery store workers
They should also wait until six months after their last dose of the vaccine. For example, if you received your second dose of Moderna on June 15, you will need to wait until December 15 to receive the booster.
Furthermore, if you have received the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen, you can receive the booster if you:
-
Are 18 and older
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Have received your previous dose two months ago
Please note that the single dose Johnson & Johnson has lower vaccine effectiveness compared to two doses.
Also, you are allowed to mix and match dosages of the booster shot depending on availability. That being said, you can receive a Moderna booster if you received Pfizer-BioNTech during the first rounds of vaccination.
Now, where can you get these boosters? You can get them at just about any pharmacy, such as CVS, Walgreens, NETHealth, and Brookshire Pharmacy. You can also get one at the Brookshire Hall mock pharmacy (WTB 212).
According to the UT Tyler website, the clinic will provide first and second dose vaccines as well as Pfizer booster shots for those eligible.
They will be giving COVID vaccines from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you must bring your photo ID, insurance card and vaccination card (if getting a 2nd dose or Booster) to receive a vaccine.
Vaccines are available to all students, faculty and staff age 18 and older. If you are not insured, you can still receive the vaccine at no charge. All of the above places prefer appointments, so make those online with the provider of your choosing.