By Judy D.J. Ellich | For the Daily American

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CDC panel backs booster expansion despite concerns

Federal health officials say millions more Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and choose a different vaccine for that shot. The FDA authorized such an expansion of the nations booster campaign, also endorsed Thursday by a CDC advisory panel. (Oct. 21)

AP

Booster shots against COVID-19 are now available.

And members ofthree regional health care systems and the Cambria/Somerset COVID-19 Task Force are discussingthese vaccines, who should receive them and where to get them.

"The most important thing is that people get vaccinated, and we encourage them to do it as soon as possible," said David Bertoty, director of emergency services atUPMC Somerset. "Vaccines are safe and very effective at preventing serious illness. The vaccine is still protecting against serious illness, six to eight months after full vaccination.

"The booster reinforces the immunity that you have. For those who are immunocompromised, the booster may also be impactful if they didnt develop a response in the first place," he said.

Boosters are tobe available at UPMC Somerset's regularly scheduled clinics, which are from noon to 4:45 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays.

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UPMC Somerset is currently administering the Pfizer boosterfor immunocompromised people. Hospital officialsanticipate being able to administer the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters in the near future, Bertoty said.

The health care systemrecommends that people register in advance to receive a vaccine at upmc.com. Walk-ins are also accepted.

"People should bring their vaccination cards with them so they can be updated," he said.

The Moderna and Pfizer boosters are recommended for individuals meeting the following criteria at least six months after their second dose:

The Johnson & Johnson booster has been recommended for all individuals 18 and olderat least two months after their first dose.

Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center has administered approximately 1,500 booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine thus far, according to Dr. David Csikos, chief medical officer.

"Experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called 'natural immunity,'varies from person to person. Also, the effectiveness of natural immunity against variant strains is unknown," he said."Re-infection is uncommon within 90 days following initial infection, however re-infection is possible."

"Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19, and the fact that re-infection is possible, patients should be vaccinated regardless of whether they have already had COVID-19 infection."

The Windber health care system provides avaccine clinic every Wednesday at the hospital. To schedule a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine, adults are asked to call 814-467-3013.

In addition, the medical center plans to hold a Saturday vaccine clinic Nov. 13.Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center also continues to vaccinate at schools, personal care and other facilities, including Roxbury Place and Quemahoning Towers.

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are available for the following Pfizer vaccine recipients who completed their initial series at least 6 months ago and are:

Those who were treated for COVID-19 symptoms with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma should wait 90 days before getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center recently hosted two community clinics for approximately 1,000 individuals. These openings filled upquickly.

"Conemaugh Health System strongly encourages individuals who have already completed a two-dose vaccination series (Pfizer or Moderna) or the single-dose regimen (J&J/Janssen) to get their booster shot if/when they meet the specific clinical and time frame criteria," saidKristen Hudak, marketing communications director atConemaugh Health System.

"We continue to offer booster doses to our employees, and we are evaluating whether additional dates for community clinics are necessary at this time."

COVID-19 vaccinations including boosters are covered by insurance and are free to all individuals, regardless of their insured status.

Vaccine providers on the task force have encountered the following questions from local residents.

For the nearly 15 million people who got the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends thatthose with moderately to severely compromised immune systemsreceive an additional dose of a mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Theadditional dose is intended to improve immunocompromised peoples response to their initial vaccine series. This includes people who have:

People are encouraged to talk to their health care provider about their medical condition, and whether receivingan additional dose is appropriate for them. Everyone is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-shot series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

According to Jeannine McMillan, executive director of 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health, patients need to bring their vaccination cards to an appointment for a booster shot.

If the card is lost or misplaced,contact the vaccine provider directly to access thevaccination record, she said.If the provider cannot be contacted, reach out tothe state Department of Health immunization information system at 877-774-4748.

If one hasmade every effort and still cannot locate your vaccine information, McMillan said, talk to a vaccine provider.

A full list of providers is available at http://www.vaccines.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 or 888-720-7489.

Some local providers numbers and websites other than the three health care systems already listed are as follows:

Total cases: 10,701.

Deaths: 253.

COVID-19 patients hospitalized: 25.

COVID-19 patients (adult) in ICU: 0.

COVID-19 patients on ventilators: 0.

Partially vaccinated: 3,093.

Fully vaccinated: 30,635.

Total cases: 19,633.

Deaths: 513.

COVID-19 patients hospitalized: 54.

COVID-19 patients (adult) in ICU: 11.

COVID-19 patients on ventilators: 11.

Partially vaccinated: 5,490.

Fully vaccinated: 62,408.

Read more:
All you need to know about the COVID boosters available in Somerset County - Daily American Online