ODESSA, Texas — The FDA has approved more people to be eligible for the Pfizer booster shot.
"It seems like the community was waiting for that announcement to come out out here and today we've had a much more successful day and it's very promising to see that people were anticipating that third shot and are getting it," said Devin Benavides, the Communications Director for the City of Odessa.
The FDA made an announcement that anyone 65 and up can get the booster, anyone that is high risk, and possibly the biggest group, anyone who is 18 and older that is at works in a high-risk environment.
"And that is a lot of people, that is anybody that comes in contact with the public on a daily basis, so teachers, daycare workers, healthcare workers, dentist, dental hygienists, their assistants, receptionists, grocers, anyone who works in retail, I mean anyone who is coming into contact with the public," said Benavides.
However if you just recently got your second Pfizer shot, you won't qualify for the booster, at least not yet.
"If you're in the Pfizer series, you get the first dose, wait three or four weeks, you get the second dose then it's gotta be 6 month since that second dose before you can come back for the booster," said Russell Meyers, the CEO for Midland Health.
The news seems to be driving more people to get vaccinated.
"So far today we've done 42 so almost as many today as we've done in those two days, and I credit that to the booster," said Benavides.
The booster has the same ingredients that the first two doses of Pfizer had, and offers additional protection to the virus.
"We need a lot of people to come out, whether it's for a booster or you finally made the decision to have your first dose," said Meyers.
If you're getting the booster or just your second dose of the vaccine, bring your vaccine card. They can still find you in the system if you don't have it but it will help speed up the process.