Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine boosters are available at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s COVID-19 Vaccine Drive-thru.
The drive-thru is open from 3-6 p.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday at 1200 College Drive. The vaccines are free and no appointment is necessary. Please bring your vaccine card with you. Sweetwater Memorial is only offering Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines at this time for those 18 and older. For details, call 307-352-8561.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are available for the following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least 6 months ago and are:
* 65 years and older
* Age 18 and older who live in long-term care settings
* Age 18 and older or have underlying medical conditions
* Age 18 and older who work in high-risk settings
* Age 18 and older who live in high-risk settings
Sweetwater County Public Health also is offering vaccine boosters during their flu vaccine clinics in the Main Hall at Sweetwater Events Complex, 3320 Yellowstone Road. The clinic is open from 1-4 p.m. every Tuesday (except Nov. 2 Election Day) through Nov. 30. For more information on the Public Health’s flu and booster clinic, call 307-922-5390.
People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them. For more information on each of these categories, go to http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/booster-shot.html.
Studies show that after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, protection against the virus may decrease over time and be less able to protect against the Delta variant, according to the CDC. Although COVID-19 vaccination for adults aged 65 years and older remains effective in preventing severe disease, recent data suggest vaccination is less effective at preventing infection or milder illness with symptoms.
Emerging evidence also shows that among healthcare and other frontline workers, vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 infections is decreasing over time, according to the CDC. This lower effectiveness is likely due to the combination of decreasing protection as time passes since getting vaccinated, as well as the greater infectiousness of the Delta variant.
The CDC reported data from a small clinical trial shows that a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished their primary series 6 months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant.
For more on this and all that Sweetwater Memorial has to offer, go to sweetwatermemorial.com.
Reader Comments(0)