Roanoke County Government: RCAHD Offering Booster Doses Of Pfizer Vaccines

Press release from the Roanoke County Government:

September 28, 2021

(ROANOKE, VA) – The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD) will offer COVID-19 vaccine boosters of the Pfizer vaccine in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For adults aged 18 and older who qualify, booster doses may be obtained any time after six months from the date of the second Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Boosters have not been approved for people who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. 

Booster doses should be considered for the following people at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series who meet the eligibility criteria:

•    People aged 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings, and

•    People 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions.

“COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness decreases slowly at six months, but people still have strong protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death" said health districts director Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH. Because vaccine protection decreases gradually over time, there is no rush for eligible individuals to get a booster dose right away. 

This press release was produced by the Roanoke County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.