LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Southern Nevada Health District is working on a plan to start administering Pfizer booster shots as early as next week.
These booster shots are only for people who previously received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and only if you received your second dose at least six months ago. So if you got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are not yet eligible for a booster.
The SNHD is following federal guidance from the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and making the Pfizer booster available to anyone over the age of 65, residents in long-term care facilities, and any adults who have underlying medical conditions or whose job is high risk for contracting COVID-19.
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But when SNHD officials were asked which workers qualify as high risk and how they plan to make people prove their profession, those answers were still unclear.
"We're still going to receive guidance about that issue from the state. So that's what we're waiting for is a little more clarity on that type of what that exactly means. The individual will look at their own benefits and risks, and of course, that will weigh in on that as well," said JoAnn Rupiper, the chief administrative nurse at SNHD.
The Health District says it hopes to make Pfizer boosters available at a dozen different sites throughout southern Nevada as early as next week. Plus, they'll potentially be available even sooner at local pharmacies, stores, and doctor's offices. Also, you don't have to get your booster shot at the same site where you got your first two Pfizer vaccine doses. This link can help you find the nearest vaccination site.
SNHD officials couldn't estimate how many people qualify for this first round of Pfizer booster shots, but they say supply shouldn't be an issue. Right now, they're only at about 20% of total vaccination capacity, and they say they can scale up operations quickly if needed.
Friday's meeting was held at 11 a.m. and a livestream of the discussion can be seen below:
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