Coronavirus: Clark County health district begins administering booster doses

Springfield News-Sun, Ohio
·4 min read

Sep. 28—The Clark County Combined Health District is scheduling appointments for COVID-19 booster doses for eligible recipients at its COVID-19 vaccination center.

Fully-vaccinated recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine who are 65 and older and are at least six months removed from their second shot are eligible for a booster dose, the health district said in a news release Monday.

Booster doses serve as another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who initially built enough protection after receiving a vaccine. That protection decreases over time, however, and the additional dose boosts the immune system to allow it to better combat a virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In Clark County as of Monday, 44.93% of the county's population has completed the vaccine series. Statewide, nearly 53.8% of the population has completed the vaccine series.

The CCCHD Covid-19 Vaccination Center at 110 W. Leffel Lane in Springfield is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and from 1 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday. Those seeking a booster dose can call 937-717-2439 to schedule an appointment.

Previously, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to allow for use of a single booster dose, to be administered six months or longer after completion of the primary vaccine series (two doses), the health district said.

Those eligible are among highest risk for severe COVID-19, as listed below: — People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their primary Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty series. — People ages 50 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their primary Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty series. — People ages 18 to 49 who are at high risk for severe COVID-19 due to certain underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their primary Pfizer series, based on their individual benefits and risks. — People ages 18-64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks. Underlying conditions include the following: underlying health conditions including: cancer, asthma, HIV infection, liver disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathies or a heart condition.

Anyone requesting a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine will self-attest their own eligibility.

Individuals that have previously received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or the two-dose Moderna vaccine are not yet eligible to receive a booster dose, the health district said.

Ohio recorded a new 21-day low for COVID-19 cases, with 3,681 daily cases reported Monday. Previously, the fewest daily cases reported in the last three weeks was the 4,266 figure reported Sunday.

In the last 21 days, Ohio is averaging 6,503 cases a day, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The state is averaging 5,941 cases in the last week. It's nearly a thousand cases fewer than the seven-day average of 6,844 cases the state reported last Monday and about 500 cases fewer than the seven-day average of 6,489 daily cases reported Sept. 6.

In addition, as of Monday, Ohio had 3,734 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with 999 in ICUs and 677 on ventilators. It was the second day in a row with fewer than 1,000 COVID patients in the state's ICUs.

In Clark County, 18,235 total cases of COVID-19 have been reported, with 597 hospitalizations and 332 deaths. Statewide, nearly 1.4 million cases of the virus have been reported, with nearly 72,000 cases and more than 21,000 deaths also reported.

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By the Numbers:

44.9: Percentage of Clark County residents who have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series

18,235: Total number of coronavirus cases reported in Clark County

332: Total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Clark County