COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna is reminding the community that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine booster shot is now available.
With guidance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration, these booster shots are now being offered to people 65 years of age or older, as well as individuals 18-64 years of age with underlying health conditions.
People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for Covid-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional settings are also eligible to receive this booster shot.
Appointments do not need to be made, but are preferred.
Individuals who meet the aforementioned requirements can receive their booster shot at the Covid-19 mass vaccination site at the multi-purpose center in Susupe where they also need to complete consent forms.
The CDC defines a booster shot as an additional dose of vaccine administered when the initial sufficient immune response to a primary vaccine series is likely to have waned over time.
A third shot, or an additional dose after an initial primary vaccine series, which is not to be confused with a booster shot, is administered when the immune response following a primary vaccine series is likely to be insufficient.
An additional mRNA Covid-19 vaccine dose is recommended for moderately to severely immunocompromised people after an initial two-dose primary mRNA vaccine series.
Essentially, an additional shot, or third shot, is for the immunocompromised, or people whose immune response was not strong enough from the first two doses, while a booster shot is for individuals whose immune response may have waned.
Third shots are available for those who are as young as 12 years of age, while booster shots are only available for those who are 18 years of age or older and meet other criteria.
Individuals can obtain a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at the Covid-19 mass vaccination site at the multi-purpose center in Susupe, or at the CHCC Immunization Clinic.
Again, consent forms must be completed by patients at the time of vaccination for the booster shot.
The consent forms will include a section in which the patient or vaccine recipient will self-attest to qualifying under any of the aforementioned categories and that they have already received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.
The Pfizer-BioNTech booster authorization applies to individuals whose primary series was the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
More data on the effectiveness and safety of the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson/Janssen booster shots are expected soon, and the CHCC will keep the public informed on the availability of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson/Janssen booster shots.
Additional members of the population may be recommended to receive a booster shot as more data becomes available.
The Covid-19 vaccines approved and authorized in the U.S. continue to be effective at reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, CHCC said.
Individuals who have questions should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition and whether getting a booster shot is appropriate for them.
CHCC also announced that the multi-purpose center Covid-19 vaccination operations have temporarily relocated to the Mt. Carmel Joeten Daidai Social Hall, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Saturday, from Oct. 7 to 18.
As of Wednesday, 82.5% of the eligible CNMI population, or 34,950 individuals, had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Of the fully vaccinated, 29,481 received the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine; 4,655 individuals, the Moderna; and 814 the Johnson & Johnson or Janssen.
As of Wednesday, the CNMI reported 273 confirmed positive Covid-19 cases, two deaths, and five hospitalizations since March 28, 2020.
To view the new CHCC Covid-19 dashboard, visit https://chcc.datadriven.health/covid19
To view the CNMI vaccination dashboard, visit https://vaccinatecnmi.com
