GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Kent County Health Department says it will begin offering third doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to eligible recipients on Tuesday.
The boosters will be available at the county’s three clinics, where you can also go to get your first or second dose. You can make an appointment by calling 616.632.7200.
“I have no idea what the interest is going to be, so hopefully we are prepared,” Kent County Health Department Immunization Supervisor Mary Wisinski told News 8. “We have our clinical locations, we are going to do it by appointments and we can add appointments as we need to. And this time around, the vaccine is at most of our pharmacies in our area as well as at our doctor offices.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week recommended booster doses for those who are older than 65, nursing home residents, people with underlying health conditions and those over the age of 18 who work in a high-risk environment. Eligible people who got Pfizer for their first two shots should seek their third dose at least six months after their second dose.
“We have those critical infrastructure workers that could really interrupt us taking care of people if we don’t go ahead and give that booster dose. Same thing for people who are older, living in nursing home; we are seeing some breakthrough disease, so that booster dose may help them fight off that mild case of COVID even better,” Wisinski said.
Right now, the federal government has recommendations only for Pfizer’s booster shot. The CDC may make similar recommendations about Modern and Johnson & Johnson boosters soon.
“It may seem unfair right now that (only) Pfizer is approved, but please be assured the research is continuing on the other two vaccines that we use,” Wisinski said.
President Joe Biden, 78, who finished his initial course of COVID-19 vaccines in January, received his booster dose Monday.
Michigan is still working to reach its goal of vaccinating 70% of the population 16 and up and is making progress. As of Monday, 67.6% of that demographic had received at least one dose. That rate was up two tenths of a percentage point since Saturday.
Nationwide, as of Sunday, 77% of people 18 or older have gotten at least one dose. 66.6% of adults are fully vaccinated.
—News 8’s Jacqueline Francis contributed to this report.