The Missoula City-County Health Department has begun offering booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to eligible Missoula County residents.
The booster shots are available at the department’s vaccination site at Southgate Mall inside the former Lucky’s grocery store space.
“We’re looking forward to helping county residents, but it’s important to remember there are some limitations to the boosters,” said COVID-19 incident commander Cindy Farr.
To be eligible for a booster, people must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Age 65 and older.
- A resident of a long-term care facility and over age 18.
- Age 18 to 64 with underlying medical conditions.
- Age 18-64 and at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure because of their occupational setting.
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The boosters are solely for patients who received the Pfizer vaccine. Boosters have not yet been authorized for the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
There must be at least six months between a patient’s second dose and a booster dose.
Booster shots are available by appointment only at the clinic at Southgate Mall.
The health department is asking county residents to be sure to bring along their COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card. Appointments are available by calling 258-INFO (4636), option 3 or online at covid19.missoula.co.
“Making appointments will help us ensure we have adequate staffing and supplies,” Farr said. “Our goal is to have each appointment be as safe, comfortable and smooth as possible.”
Farr noted that there has been confusion between the recently approved booster shots and third doses. Since late August, third doses have been authorized for immunocompromised patients. Those shots, of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, are authorized solely for patients with compromised immunity. The department has administered about 400 of those third doses to eligible patients.
“We’ve had lots of questions about the differences between boosters and third doses,” Farr said. “The third shots are for a fairly small number of patients, while the boosters approved this month are available to the groups authorized by the FDA and CDC.”
Farr said the vaccine center also continues to offer first and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna shots, and patients may either make an appointment or walk in for those. The Southgate site is out of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until further notice.