PITTSBORO — As news comes from federal agencies about expanding eligibility for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, the Chatham County Public Health Department continues to encourage more people to get their first dose as soon as possible.
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses
Last Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommended that the following people who received their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months ago should receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine:
• Those who are 65 years of age and older, and residents of long-term care facilities like nursing homes; and
• Those who are 50 to 64 years old with certain medical conditions.
In addition, the CDC said the following people may receive a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine, based on their individual benefits and risks:
• Those who are 18 to 49 years old with certain medical conditions; and
• Those 18 to 64 years old who work or live in settings that make them more likely to be exposed to COVID-19.
A few important facts about this announcement:
• Booster shots are only recommended for those who received the Pfizer vaccine. People who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines should not get a booster shot at this time.
• The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was already fully approved by the FDA for all individuals aged 16 and older as a two-dose series.
• The booster dose is the same as the approved vaccine.
“There are three key points to make based on this news,” said Chatham County Public Health Director Mike Zelek. “First, all authorized COVID-19 vaccines continue to work very well against COVID-19, particularly in preventing serious illness and death. Second, some who received the Pfizer vaccine can benefit from a booster dose. This includes those who are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 or are at higher risk of getting exposed to COVID-19 based on where they work or live. Third, and most importantly, our ability to end this pandemic will depend on those who are not yet vaccinated getting their first and second doses.”
The Chatham County Public Health Department continues to offer the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at its Siler City clinic, but there are several locations in Chatham County that offer the Pfizer vaccine and are giving the booster, including Siler City Pharmacy, Pittsboro Pharmacy, 501 Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, Walmart in Siler City, CVS Pharmacy in Chapel Hill and Siler City, Harris Teeter in Chapel Hill, Walgreens in Siler City and Pittsboro, StarMed Healthcare in Goldston (Wednesday afternoons at Goldston Town Hall), and Optum Healthcare in Pittsboro (Mondays and Thursdays at the Old Agricultural Building in downtown Pittsboro).
To find more vaccine locations near you, including addresses, times of operation and appointments available, visit www.vaccines.gov.
Get your first vaccine dose now
To best protect the Chatham County community, all individuals who are eligible should get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
Chatham County is seeing 100 or more new cases per week and 7% of tests done in the county returning positive over the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While both case numbers and test percent positivity decreased from the previous seven days, there is still high community transmission of COVID-19 in Chatham, meaning that everyone in the county should continue to wear a mask in public indoor settings. More CDC data can be found here: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/.
As of this week, 55% of Chatham County residents had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 52% were considered fully vaccinated.
“COVID-19 is still a threat in Chatham County. Like communities across the state and country, we have had deaths during the recent surge, a stark reminder that this remains a deadly virus” added Zelek. “Our healthcare workers also continue to carry a heavy load. Let’s support them and each one another by doing the easy thing and getting a COVID-19 vaccine.”
Those who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine or testing can call the CCPHD COVID-19 Vaccine Infoline at 919-545-8323. More information on COVID-19 boosters will be shared and updated at www.chathamcountync.gov/boosters.
To learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine and the CCPHD’s vaccination plans, visit www.chathamcountync.gov/coronavirusvaccine. To learn more about the Chatham County Public Health Department, visit www.chathamcountync.gov/publichealth or www.facebook.com/chathamhealth.