WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) are endorsing three new expansions for COVID-19 vaccines in Kansas, which have also been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The three changes include the following:
- Reduce the waiting period to receive a booster from six months to five months after the second shot of Pfizer vaccine.
- Lower the minimum age to receive a Pfizer booster. Anyone above the age of 12 is eligible to receive a Pfizer booster if they completed the two-dose Pfizer primary series five months ago.
- Authorize a third dose in the Pfizer primary series for 5- to 11-year-olds who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
The Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) is now following the new recommendations.
“Expanded access to vaccines is good news all around,” says Adrienne Byrne, the Sedgwick County health director. “Studies clearly show boosters help stop the spread of the Omicron variant. It’s urgent that everyone stay up-to-date with a booster as soon as they are eligible — that’s now five months, not six.”
She added, “A third dose for our most vulnerable young people ensures that children with weakened immune systems are optimally protected against COVID-19.”
The SCHD officers both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines at its community vaccine clinic, located at 233 S. Main St., the former downtown Wichita library. The SCHD also offers vaccines at various mobile vaccination clinics around the county. To view the locations, click here.
No appointments are needed. For people younger than 18, a parent or guardian consent is needed to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. An attestation form will need to be signed to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine if a person is moderately or severely immunocompromised.
For more information from the CDC, you can click the following links:
- CDC Recommends Pfizer Booster at 5 Months, Additional Primary Dose for Certain Immunocompromised Children
- CDC Expands Booster Shot Eligibility and Strengthens Recommendations for 12-17 Year Olds
For additional information from the KDHE, you can click the following link: