About Booster Dose of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) issued updated recommendations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines and highlighted several priorities, including recommendations for booster doses in defined groups. This public health guidance is interim and will be updated as additional guidance from CDC is provided.
A single booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for certain populations at least six months after completion of the primary two-dose Pfizer series. The booster dose is currently limited to those individuals who received Pfizer as the primary two-dose series.
MSDH recommends:
- As a priority group, individuals aged 65 years and older and residents in long-term care facilities (LTCF) should receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer primary series.
- As a priority group, individuals aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions (see the complete list) should receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer primary series.
- Individuals aged 18-49 with underlying medical conditions (see the complete list) may also receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer primary series.
- Individuals aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting (see the complete list) may also receive a booster shot of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer primary series.
See these resources for additional information:
- MSDH Health Alert: MSDH Updated Interim COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance – Pfizer Booster Dose
- CDC: Who Is Eligible for a COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shot?
- CDC: Safety Monitoring of an Additional Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, August 12–September 19, 2021
On-Campus Options for COVID-19 Testing
FREE COVID-19 testing is offered for symptomatic or asymptomatic students, faculty and staff at the University-Oxford Depot on campus Monday-Friday, 3-7 p.m. and this Saturday, 12-4 p.m. See the full schedule and more details here. To schedule your test:
- Text “2020” to 833-991-3009 OR click on this link: http://86borders.com/l/68415e8f
- Complete the Testing Intake Form
- You will receive a confirmation # to present at the testing site
- Show up (with your University-affiliated ID) any day, any time during testing hours that week.
The University Health Center also offers COVID testing on campus. Call Student Health at (662) 915-7274 or Employee Health at (662) 915-6550 to schedule a test.
Oxford/Lafayette County Options for COVID-19 Testing
MSDH offers FREE testing at the Oxford Conference Center Monday through Friday. More info and available appointments are here. Or, you can see this list of clinics around town that offer COVID testing.
COVID-19 Vaccine on Campus
Upcoming vaccine clinics administering the FREE FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine for those aged 12 and up will be held at Johnson Commons. All clinics will offer the first or second Pfizer dose. No appointment needed – simply stop by between 1-3 p.m. on any of the following dates:
- Oct. 5, 12, 19, and 26
- Nov. 2, 9, and 30
Flu Shots on Campus
- Oct. 5, 1–4 p.m., Grove Stage
- Oct. 6, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Student Union patio
- Oct. 12, 1–4 p.m., Galtney-Lott Plaza
- Oct. 14, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., The Pavilion
The cost is $40 and can be billed to most insurance plans as university students, faculty, and staff should bring their Ole Miss ID and prescription insurance card. Costs not covered by insurance can be charged to Bursar accounts.
Featured FAQ: What is the difference between an “additional dose (third dose)” and a “booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine?”
According to MSDH, individuals with moderately to severely compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and may not mount the same immune response to the two-dose vaccine primary series compared to people who are not immunocompromised. Therefore, an additional dose (or third dose in the primary series) to the two-dose mRNA vaccine series is recommended at least four weeks after completion of the primary series.
A COVID-19 booster dose is given to provide additional immunity after the initial immune response to the primary two-dose series of vaccine has waned over time. This will help maintain (or even boost) immunity for longer time periods and provide additional protection. The COVID-19 booster dose is recommended only for certain populations that are at least six months past completion of the two-dose Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series.
News Stories and Resources
- UMMC COVID-19 Patient Status (as of 9/29)
- COVID-19 Patients, Oxford/Lafayette County (as of 9/29)
- Oxford Board of Aldermen vote to remove mask mandate (Oxford Eagle)
- Pfizer Submits Favorable Initial Data to The FDA On Kids’ COVID-19 Vaccine Trial (NPR)
- CDC director weighs in on whether kids should go trick-or-treating on Halloween amid the pandemic (MSNBC)
- No, Vaccinated People Are Not ‘Just as Likely’ to Spread the Coronavirus as Unvaccinated People (The Atlantic)
- Do Masks Delay Speech and Language Development? (HealthChildren.org)
- U.S. Olympians and Paralympians must be vaccinated before the Winter Games in Beijing (NYT)
- Flu Season and Covid: How to Navigate a Potential ‘Twindemic’ (Wall Street Journal)
MSDH Data
- MSDH reported the following information for COVID-19 cases in Mississippi as of Sept. 28:
- 1,098 new cases, 50 new deaths and 85 long-term care facilities outbreaks.
- Mississippi Vaccination Report as of Sept. 29:
- 2,802,665 total doses administered; 1,501,275 people receiving at least one dose; and 1,312,534 people fully vaccinated.
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