HERSHEY, Pa. — Currently, the CDC only recommends an additional COVID-19 shot for seniors and the immunocompromised. However, federal public health officials have said they anticipate boosters will be needed for the whole population, including a second dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
In preparation for a possible CDC booster approval later this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Health issued an order to facilitate the scheduling of vaccine appointments throughout the state.
The Department of Health’s order requires vaccine providers, as possible, to:
- Provide online scheduling for vaccination appointments
- Provide a telephone number, with prompts to a live agent during normal business hours, to assist in scheduling appointments
- Offer walk-in appointments
- Work with local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and Medical Assistance Managed Care Organizations (MCO) to help schedule eligible adults and people who cannot leave their homes
Plans for scheduling and administering booster shoots come even as the state struggles to reach Department of Health officials’ previously stated goal of a 70% vaccination rate.
So far, only 65.9% of Pennsylvanians age 18 and older are fully vaccinated.
“While there is absolutely a lot of talk about getting boosters or getting the third dose, it’s very important to remember, it’s never too late to get your first dose of your COVID vaccine,” Dr. Karen Krok, vice chair of clinical affairs at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center said.
Officials acknowledged they alone will not be able to convince everyone to get the vaccine.
“Those of you who have been vaccinated, I’m asking you to speak to someone that you know, tell them about your vaccine experience,” Pa. Acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said.
Officials are still prepared for a surge, saying unlike last spring, the state now has enough vaccine to meet demand—for first, second, and third doses.
“The limiting factors that were there in supply are not there,” Pa. Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam said. “We see it as our obligation and our duty to be able to say the order is being able to require the appointment making and really taking the best lessons learned from the spring and prepare for doing two missions at once.”
The CDC’s website says the goal is to make booster shots available to everyone sometime this fall. The first people to be eligible would be those who got their second dose at least eight months ago.
The new guidance is set to be announced Thursday, following a two-day meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).