HEALTH

Boosters: More approvals are coming with expanded eligibility. Here's where to get the shots

Liz Freeman
Naples Daily News

Update: On Thursday night, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signed off on mix-and-match COVID-19 booster shots, meaning clinics, doctors and pharmacies can begin giving them out Friday. Read the full story at USA Today

Are you ready for a COVID-19 vaccine booster?

A federal committee voted Thursday to allow mix-and-match booster shots, which could be available by the weekend. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention panel also recommended a second shot for anyone who got the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well as a booster dose for certain groups of people who got the Moderna vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration already backed.

Once CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signs off on the recommendation, which is expected to happen quickly, Moderna and J&J boosters can begin to be offered in the United States.

So far only the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots have been authorized as boosters for certain groups based on age and health factors. 

Roughly 189.3 million Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or 57% of the U.S. population, according to the CDC. About 10.7 million Americans have already gotten boosters because they are over 65 or have health complications.

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In Florida, 13,790,450 people, or 72% of the population who are 12 and older and eligible, had received at least one shot according to the Oct. 15 weekly report from the Department of Health. Of those, 11.3 million are fully vaccinated.

An FDA advisory panel voted Oct. 14 to recommend a Moderna booster for people 65 and older, for younger people with health conditions and for people whose jobs put them at risk. Currently a Moderna third dose is limited to people with immunocompromised health conditions.

The same committee voted Oct. 15 to recommend a second dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine as a booster for people 18 and older.

Ann Lee, a pharmacist for Lee Health prepares COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site at Gulf Coast Medical Center.  Vaccinations have picked up as the delta variant has started to spread.

In Florida, pharmacy giants CVSWalgreens and Publix are offering vaccines to the limited eligible groups and are preparing to expand availability.

“We encourage customers to complete paperwork ahead of time and to make appointments to save both patients and pharmacy team members time and manage workflow,” a Walgreen spokeswoman said in an email.  

Appointments are not required at Publix Pharmacy for vaccines but can be made on the online appointment scheduler, spokeswoman Maria Brous said.

“We accept walk-ins for the COVID-19 vaccine as well. There is no waiting list. Vaccines are subject to availability,” she said. “Customers should bring their CDC immunization record card and state's completed consent form, which can be found on www.publix.com/vaccines.”

Who can get the Pfizer booster?

The Pfizer vaccine was the first approved in late September as a booster for these groups who should get the shot:

·      People 65 and older

·      Residents of long-term care facilities

·      People 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions.

In addition, the CDC says people who are 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions may receive a Pfizer booster; that also applies to people 18 to 64 at risk of COVID-19 exposure because of their “occupational or institutional setting.”

High-risk jobs include health care workers, teachers and day care staff, grocery workers or people who work in prisons or homeless shelters, according to acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock.

To be eligible, anybody in these groups must have had their second dose six months ago or earlier.

What about the Moderna booster?

The FDA on Aug. 13 approved a third dose of the Moderna vaccine for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, which includes people who are:

·      organ transplant recipients

·      have primary immunodeficiency

·      in active cancer treatment

·      have untreated or advanced HIV

·      stem cell transport recipients within the last two years

·      in active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids.

When it comes to a booster shot for people 65 and older, Moderna is planning a half dose, according to company officials.

Fort Myers resident, Carleather Atkins receives her second dose of the Moderna vaccine from Dr. Shadreka McIntosh, owner of Sozo Wellness Pharmacy on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.  Atkins said McIntosh persuaded her to get the vaccine. "It's on everbody's doorstep, " She said about the COVID-19 pandemic.  She said that five of her family members were in the hospital at the same time with COVID-19.

“We remain committed to staying ahead of the virus and following the evolving epidemiology of (COVID-19),” Stéphane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said in a statement Oct. 14. “We look forward to making our booster available to people in the U.S. to help protect themselves against this ongoing public health emergency.”

What about a booster of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?

The FDA panel last week said the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be considered a two-dose vaccine rather than the single dose that had received initial authorization.

A booster after two months provided 94% protection and a 12-fold increase in antibodies when the booster is given six months after the vaccine, company officials said in a news release Sept. 21.

Dr. Paul Stoffels, chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson, said, "(We) now have generated evidence that a booster shot further increases protection against COVID-19 and is expected to extend the duration of protection significantly.”

Where to get boosters

CVS pharmacies have provided 34 million does of vaccines to Americans and says it will continue to play a prominent role in delivering the vaccine.

“We continue to administer Pfizer or Moderna third doses to eligible immunocompromised patients, while also now administering Pfizer booster doses to patients who attest they meet the eligibility to receive a booster dose,” a CVS official said in an email.

Public health officials have announced plans, but no dates, to make booster shots of the Moderna vaccine available to eligible populations, CVS said.

“As we await further guidance and approval from regulatory agencies, we’re fully prepared to continue to have a leading role in providing booster shots this fall,” CVS said. “Advanced scheduling is strongly recommended for individuals looking to receive the booster shot to ensure that it is available at the pharmacy location of their choice.”

When scheduling an appointment on CVS.com, patients will be asked to provide the manufacturer and date of their last COVID-19 vaccine, according to CVS.

They will be able to schedule an appointment for a Pfizer booster dose if they have had two previous doses with the same vaccine at least six months prior.

Based on guidance from the CDC, patients will be asked to self-attest to their eligibility to help reduce barriers to access for these select populations, the pharmacy said.

At Walgreens, patients are encouraged to make appointments for flu, COVID-19 and booster vaccinations through Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine or 1-800-WALGREENS. 

They do not need to have gotten their first vaccines at Walgreens to get boosters, a spokeswoman said.

“Walgreens will ask people to verify and attest that they are eligible during the scheduling process, and again at the time of vaccination,” a Walgreens spokeswoman said. “Ultimately, we are focused on removing barriers and improving access to vaccines.”

USA Today contributed to this report.