First District Health Unit is now giving booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19, in accordance with CDC recommendations.
The new recommendations authorize providers to offer a booster dose to:
- everyone 65 or older.
- anyone 18 and older who
- has an underlying medical condition, including cancer, diabetes, Down syndrome, a heart condition, hypertension, overweight or obesity, pregnancy, history of smoking, and substance abuse disorder; or
- works in a high-risk setting, such as health care workers, first responders, education staff, food and agriculture workers, grocery store workers and other frontline essential workers; or
- lives in a high-risk setting; for example, long term care, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.
The booster dose is given at least 6 months after the completion of the primary vaccination series. The booster is only authorized for people who received the Pfizer vaccine. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are expected to apply for authorization in the near future.
Guidelines remain in place for a third dose, also called the additional dose, of COVID-19 vaccine for people with moderately to severely compromised immunity. The additional dose can be given at least 28 days after the second dose of either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.
First District continues to encourage everyone 12 and older to get vaccinated, eat healthy meals, get plenty of sleep, and stay physically active. Healthy lifestyles help the immune system and improve the body’s ability to fight diseases like COVID-19. It is also important to stay home if you are sick.
An appointment for the primary series of COVID vaccinations, the booster shot, or an additional dose can be scheduled online by visiting the First District website, www.fdhu.org, or by calling your local First District Health Unit office.