Syringes of the Pfizer vaccine during a Covid vaccine clinic at the Oregon State Fairgrounds on Thursday, Jan. 28. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)
Salem’s largest health care provider, Salem Health, will begin offering booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine on Oct. 4 at its clinics and urgent care centers, and a number of local providers already have booster appointments available.
Following approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, federal and state health officials are now recommending a booster dose of Pfizer Covid vaccine for people who are:
-65 and older
-Living in long-term care facilities
-50-64 with underlying medical conditions
Younger people with underlying medical conditions and people at higher risk for Covid exposure due to work or living in institutions may choose to get a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine.
State health officials said during a Tuesday news conference that group includes people working in health care settings, teachers and educators, daycare workers, first responders, food processing workers, grocery store employees and others in public-facing jobs.
People should get a booster dose at least six months after receiving a second shot of Pfizer vaccine. Booster doses are not FDA-approved for people who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
A Salem Health spokeswoman said Tuesday that appointments for booster doses of Pfizer will begin next week. Information and appointment scheduling will be available on the Salem Health website.
Salem Health also plans to make booster doses available at future mobile vaccination clinics.
Retail pharmacies in the Salem area including Rite Aid, Safeway and Walgreens are already offering booster appointments, and some clinics and doctor’s offices have vaccines available.
Woodburn Ambulance, which held drive-through vaccination clinics in Marion County earlier in the year, plans to offer booster dose clinics but has not yet scheduled any, according to its Facebook page.
-Rachel Alexander
