TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Starting Sept. 29, Florida A&M's vaccine clinic is offering Pfizer boosters shots for those who qualify to get them.
Neighborhood Medical Center CEO Jeanne Freeman said the booster shot is the next step in recovering.
"Getting back to some sense of normalcy. We hope that's what it means, and definitely the continued protection of our community," she said.
Along with Florida A&M's vaccine clinic, select pharmacies, and health centers like Neighborhood are giving booster shots to the community. Freeman compares the booster shot to the annual flu shot.
"This will continue to give you that protection that your initial series of vaccines gave. We want to make sure that you have continued protection over time," said Freeman.
Science FAMU site director Tanya Tatum said continues to evolve.
"One of the things they've been studying and looking at is the level of protection that you get from the two-dose vaccine levels off after a while. So they've seen less of-- we've had some break though cases. So they're thinking the boosters will bring the level of immunity back up to fight off the virus," said Tatum.
Boosters are available 6 months after completion of the series. People 65 and older, living in a long-term care facility, 50-64 with underlying health issues, or anyone at increased risk of catching COVID due to severe illnesses like cancer and HIV should get the booster.
Right now, only select groups of people who took the Pfizer vaccine are eligible for the shot; but that could change.
"We anticipate that Moderna will follow through and we'll get booster doses for them in the next few weeks or so," said Tatum.
Until then, Neighborhood Medical is using grant money to create FAQ sheets about the boosters and reach out to those who are eligible for it.
"The goal is to make sure that we can get out and do that outreach and education in our Community. Inform people about the vaccine, so that they can make educated decision choices about their health care," said Freeman.
