Stanislaus County opens COVID vaccine sites for some third doses. Who is eligible?
Stanislaus County’s vaccine clinics will administer third doses of coronavirus vaccine to immunocompromised people.
But county public health officials encouraged the eligible people to talk with their physicians about the need for an extra dose and the best timing.
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced that immunocompromised individuals could receive a third dose of mRNA vaccine to protect themselves against the COVID-19 illness. The mRNA vaccines include Pfizer and Moderna. There is no recommendation yet for a booster for the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Those eligible for a third dose include organ transplant recipients, patients in cancer treatment, people with advanced stages or untreated HIV and people who take certain medications that suppress the immune system.
“Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work very well in most people, there is evidence that those who are severely immunocompromised are not fully protected after receiving two doses,” the Stanislaus County Health Services agency said in a news release Monday.
The county agency said some people in the small, vulnerable group can get a boost of immunity from a third dose. COVID-19 booster shots are not available to the general public at this time.
Eligible people have to wait at least 28 days after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna to receive a third dose. It’s recommended that the third dose be the same vaccine as the first and second. If that is not possible, however, a third dose of another mRNA vaccine is acceptable, the county agency said.
The county Health Services Agency said third doses will be available for eligible county residents at vaccination sites offering Pfizer or Moderna. The county clinics will have additional doses of Pfizer or Moderna available at locations that offer those brands.
The vaccine clinics will accept verbal confirmation that the person has a qualifying medical condition, the news release said.
Because of the dwindling number of residents seeking shots, Stanislaus County has cut back on the number of vaccine clinics held each week.
The county’s Public Health Immunization Clinic offers Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. The clinic at 401 Paradise Road, Suite E, is open this week Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A one-day clinic at the Riverbank Community Center, 3600 Santa Fe St., will run from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, offering Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
A vaccine clinic providing Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson is also set for Saturday at the Modesto Library, 1500 I St., from 10 a.m. to noon.
The county Health Services Agency has information at www.schsa.org about other clinics, drugstores and health centers that offer the free vaccine.
This story was originally published August 16, 2021 at 12:30 PM.
