MIDLAND, Texas — Needles will be going into people’s arms in Midland for a third time next week.
Midland Memorial Hospital plans to only offer the Pfizer shot for immunocompromised people or transplant patients at the F. Marie Outpatient Center starting Sept. 14.
It is going to be a similar setup to the vaccine hub we saw this spring at the Horseshoe.
If you are eligible, you will register online, make an appointment and then with your vaccine card and ID in hand go to the clinic. Those with issues scheduling online can call 432-221-4VAX.
For now, the booster shots will only be open to people who received the Pfizer vaccine at least 8 months ago.
“At this point, we're only prepared to offer Pfizer but we're working to add Moderna," Stephen Bowerman, Midland Memorial Chief Operating Officer, said. "The booster shots that have been approved for transplant and immunocompromised patients are only approved for Pfizer and Moderna, not J&J at this point.”
Right now, the FDA has not given approval to any of the vaccines for booster shots for the general public.
According to the White House, Pfizer will likely get that approval by Sept. 20 after the FDA advisory panel reviews Pfizer’s application.
Moderna’s booster approval may take a few weeks longer and more research is needed for J&J.
But what about those who are getting the booster shot before it’s been approved?
“I’m not qualified to tell you if it’s safe or not…but I can tell you it’s not approved by the CDC to have that booster shot unless you're immunocompromised or a transplant patient," Bowerman said. "We have experienced this the full 18 months of COVID, people have jumped ahead providing certain approval for treatments, we’re not going to provide it here at Midland Health, we are going to wait for the approval. If it’s approved tomorrow was it safe a week ago? Probably, but we are going to wait for the CDC before we proceed.”
As for in Odessa, Medical Center Hospital tells me they are not planning on doing a booster clinic.
But can people who received the J&J or Moderna vaccine get the Pfizer shot for their booster?
According to medical experts, no. Why? The vaccines all protect you from the same virus but they synthesize different proteins in order for your body to create an immune response.
So if you got a different vaccine for your booster, it would be like getting your first dose instead of boosting what your body already has in it.