El Paso County vaccine urge patience after COVID-19 booster shots are authorized
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- Following the federal government's authorization of booster shots, vaccine providers in Colorado Springs and El Paso County are cautioning for patience.
Thursday, U.S. health regulators authorized an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in people with weakened immune systems to better protect them from the virus.
The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration applies to millions of Americans who take immune-suppressing medicines because of organ transplants, cancer, or other disorders. The decision does not apply to otherwise healthy individuals.
Doctors at Peak Vista Community Health in Colorado Springs tell KRDO they are trying to wrap their heads around booster shots before they begin administering. Peak Vista currently has 14 clinics rolled out and vaccinating the public with both the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
“We want to be slow we want to be accurate, and we want to make sure the messages that go out are appropriate and reflect what the intent of the emergency use authorization," said Joel Tanaka with Peak Vista Community Health Centers. "And give it to those folks who are at the highest risk of being immunocompromised.”
Centura Health provided KRDO with a statement on the booster shots on Friday hours after the Center for Disease Control (CDC) unanimously approved new guidelines to administer booster shots to immunocompromised individuals:
At Centura Health we understand patients are eager to receive their third dose or booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. We are currently reviewing the new CDC guidance issue and will be communicating with our patients in the near future.
Centura Health
Based on the FDA guidelines, less than 3% of Americans are even eligible for the third shot.
For Tanaka, he says Peak Vista will take its time before administering additional shots. The vaccine providers still have questions on how administering third vaccines will work.
"One of the pieces we need to figure out is how to adjust our screening and the questions we ask with respect to moderate to severe immunocompromised status,” said Tanaka.
Health authorities are closely monitoring if and when the general population will need a booster shot but say, for now, the vaccines continue to be highly effective in most healthy people.
