COVID-19 booster shots available in Wichita County

The Wichita Falls-Wichita County Public Health District has begun offering the Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccine.

The Texas Department of State Health Services notified vaccine providers that they should begin to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccine to adults in certain groups.

"A booster shot can help strengthen protection against severe disease in populations whose immunity may have started to wane and who are at high-risk of exposure to COVID-19 or complications from severe disease," the City of Wichita Falls said in a press release.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends:

• People aged 65 years and older and residents of long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their PfizerBioNTech primary series.
• People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their PfizerBioNTech primary series
• People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
• People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

This applies only to the Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine and only to people 18 and older.

CDC does not recommend booster doses for recipients of the Moderna or J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccines at this time. Mixing and matching vaccine brands is not currently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration or recommended by the CDC.

The Health District the Pfizer booster doses. People who qualify may visit the City of Wichita Falls website to register online for appointments Monday thru Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Fridays 9 a.m. – 1p.m. at https://us1.quickscreen.health/wichita-falls-vaccinations#/waitlist