Yes. The CDC states it is safe to do so.

Yes, we have a limited amount of vaccine on-hand; however, it is widely available at pharmacies throughout Travis and surrounding counties.

For more on the CDC recommendations regarding an additional Covid-19 vaccine dose, click here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html

A Covid vaccine booster is simply an additional shot of the same vaccine. For example, if your first two Covid shots were Pfizer, a booster is getting a third Pfizer shot. Boosters are not a different strength or formulation of the vaccines.

Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Click this direct link for more on the booster: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html

For those patients receiving a booster,  it is recommended that the third dose be from the same manufacturer (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) as their initial vaccine series. However, if the mRNA vaccine product given for the first two doses is not available or is unknown, either mRNA COVID-19 vaccine product may be administered. A person should not receive more than three mRNA vaccine doses and the third dose should not be administered within 4 weeks of getting the second vaccine.

For the most up to date information, refer to the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/.

As COVID-19 vaccines are authorized and then recommended for use in the United States, it will be important to understand what is known about each vaccine.CDC will provide information on who is and is not recommended to receive each vaccine and what to expect after vaccination, as well as ingredients, safety, and effectiveness.

Currently, three vaccines are authorized and recommended to prevent COVID-19:

• Pfizer-BioNTech – approved for patients 12 years and older
• Moderna – approved for 18 years and older
• Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)- approved for 18 years and older

See https://www.astho.org/COVID-19/Pfizer-Moderna-Vaccine-Comparison/ for a compact but thorough comparison chart.

The COVID-19 virus uses mRNA to produce the spike protein that forms the outer layer of the virus. The spike protein in the virus generates an immune response. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines give instructions for our cells to make a harmless piece of the spike protein, our immune system recognizes it does not belong and begins making antibodies. The advantage of an mRNA vaccine is that it generates a stronger type of immunity –making antibodies and immune system killer cells – a double strike against viruses. mRNA vaccines do not use the live virus that causes COVID-19. (For more information, click Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines | CDC)

• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to any ingredient in an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (such as polyethylene glycol), you should not get an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.*
• If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction—even if it was not severe—to any ingredientexternal icon in the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine (such as polysorbate), you should not get the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

An allergic reaction is considered severe when a person needs to be treated with epinephrine or EpiPen© or if they must go to the hospital. Experts refer to severe allergic reactions as anaphylaxis. Learn about common side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and when to call a doctor.

**An immediate allergic reaction means a reaction within 4 hours of getting vaccinated, including symptoms such as hives, swelling, or wheezing (respiratory distress).

People who have had COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated. Re-infection is possible. Experts do not yet know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. We won’t know how long immunity produced by vaccination lasts until there is more data. Click here for more information.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines each take 2 weeks after the second dose to reach maximum protection. For the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it’s 4 weeks. Although vaccinations are accelerating, CDC estimates that just 9.2% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine that the FDA has authorized for emergency use.

CDC recommends that fully vaccinated people continue to take these COVID-19 precautions when in public, when visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple other households, and when around unvaccinated people who are at high risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19:

• Wear a well-fitted mask.
• Stay at least 6 feet from people you do not live with.
• Avoid medium- and large-sized in-person gatherings.
• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow guidance issued by individual employers.
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.

For public health recommendations for fully vaccinated people, refer to these links (CDC revised July 28, 2021):

-cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html

-https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html