The Health Department has received a limited supply of the Bivalent COVID-19 Booster shots and will begin administering the booster doses to eligible individuals at all Hamilton County Health Clinics beginning on Friday.
This Bivalent booster is designed to target the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, in addition to the original coronavirus strain.
This single-dose booster helps to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting more transmissible variants. For more information, please visit the CDC’s website
here.
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for people 18 years of age and older. The Pfizer-BioNTech booster is authorized for people 12 years of age and older. Individuals are eligible for the new boosters two months after completing their initial vaccination series or their last booster shot.
“As we move into the fall and winter, it is critical that we have safe and effective vaccine boosters that can protect against circulating and emerging variants to prevent the most severe consequences of COVID-19. These boosters allow us to get ahead of the next predicted wave of COVID-19,” says Dr. Stephen Miller, Hamilton County Health Department’s Health Officer.
The Health Department’s main campus at 3rd street will be the only clinic to offer both the Moderna and Pfizer Bivalent Booster. Residents will need to make an appointment by calling our hotline at 423-209-8383.
Outlying clinics will be offering the Pfizer Bivalent booster to eligible individuals with no appointment necessary.
To see a full list of where the Health Department is administering the COVID-19 primary series and the booster shot, including all of our outlying clinics, please visit our online vaccine calendar at vaccine.hamiltontn.gov.
Additional resources
· If a minor is being vaccinated, a parent or legal guardian must be present at the appointment and bring a current, valid photo ID. If you are a legal guardian, please bring proof of guardianship with you.
· Masks must be worn inside all Hamilton County Health Department facilities.
· To see a full list of where the Health Department is administering COVID-19 primary series and booster shots, please visit our online vaccine calendar at vaccine.hamiltontn.gov.
· Call the Health Department’s COVID-19 at 423-209-8383 if you have questions about vaccinations, locating testing, or if you seek isolation or quarantine guidance.
· Vaccines are widely available in the community through several providers. Please visit vaccines.gov to find a vaccination site near you.
· Testing options are available in the community through several providers. Please visit testing.hamiltontn.gov or call our hotline at 423-209-8383 for help locating a testing facility near you.
· To read this information in Spanish, visit the Health Department’s Spanish Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SaludHamiltonTN