Northwest Iowa — Sanford Health has announced that recently, additional doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines were approved for immunocompromised individuals. As part of the vaccine rollout, more patients can now receive a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine, specifically.
According to the CDC, individuals 65 years and older are now eligible for a third dose. Adults with underlying health conditions, and those who work and live in high-risk settings are also eligible.
Jeffry Meyer, M.D., a Sanford Health family medicine specialist, said providers have been seeing more breakthrough cases — meaning individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may still contract the illness. However, because of previous vaccinations, many of the cases “are quite mild.”
“But for some people who are at high risk, it could not be so mild. So, a booster shot would seem to help prevent that,” said Dr. Meyer. The majority of hospitalized COVID-19 patients are unvaccinated individuals, he added.
Dr. Meyer said Sanford Health has “plenty” of vaccine. He said there were some road bumps earlier in 2021 with vaccine availability, but the health care system is equipped to offer shots to any patient.
“We have multiple locations that patients can get it at. All of our clinics have it. Many of the pharmacies have it,” he said.
Sanford patients can contact their primary care provider to schedule an upcoming COVID-19 vaccine dose, or can do so through the My Sanford Chart app.
