The Pike County Health Department, PCHD, is holding vaccination clinics on Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in the months of September and October.
On September 24, 2021, the Illinois Department of Public Health, IDPH. adopted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s, CDC, recommendation for a booster shot of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and for those in high risk occupational and institutional settings.
The CDC recommends the following groups should receive boosters:
- People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech 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 Pfizer-BioNTech 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
Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated. This includes people who have:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
The PCHD recommends that people talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.