Call to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine booster

Update as of October 27: Booster doses of Moderna and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine have now been authorized.

Anyone age 18 and up who received the J&J vaccine at least two months ago is eligible to receive a booster dose.
Moderna boosters are authorized for those who meet the same criteria for Pfizer listed below.

Booster doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine were recently authorized for individuals who completed a two-shot series of Pfizer vaccine more than six months ago and fall into one of the following groups:

Age 65 and over;
Age 18-64 with high risk of severe COVID-19 because of underlying medical conditions; and
Age 18-64 and work or live in high-risk settings.

Please note that "mixing and matching" of booster doses is also authorized, which means that you can get a booster dose of a different type of vaccine than the one you originally received.

Anyone who qualifies to receive the a booster shot can call Community HealthCare System clinics to schedule. Please bring your completed vaccine card and be prepared to sign an attestation that you qualify for the booster. Find more information about eligibility and vaccine effectiveness in the CDC media statement. Vaccines and boosters are also widely available through pharmacies and county public health offices.

Additional doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine were previously approved for individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised because they are receiving cancer treatment, have received an organ transplant and are taking drugs that suppress their immune system, are undergoing treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune system, or suffer from a immoderate or severe primary immunodeficiency. Additional doses can be administered to those who qualify and who are more than 28 days past their second dose. Current guidance says that individuals who have received an additional dose may receive a single COVID-19 booster dose at least 6 months after completing their third mRNA vaccine dose. Find more information about additional doses.

According to available data, Pfizer vaccine effectiveness decreases to about 65% (from 95%) after 6 months when looking at symptomatic infections. There is a small decline in effectiveness after 6 months for hospitalization in people over age 65. There is little to no decline in effectiveness after 6 months for hospitalization in people under age 65. Risks associated with booster doses is minimal, and the side effects are similar to those seen with the two-shot series.

Booster supply is not a problem at this time in our area, so all who qualify and wish to receive a booster or an additional dose should seek it out.

CHCS will bill patients’ insurance provider, but patients will not incur out-of-pocket expenses for COVID-19 vaccines. Please direct questions about vaccines to your healthcare provider.