By Sarah Allen-Sutter and Julie Langston
Source of information: CDC
In the article below, we will discuss what a booster dose is, who is currently eligible, whether you can mix and match vaccines, and where to receive a booster dose in Yolo County.
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WHAT IS A BOOSTER DOSE?
A booster dose is a dose of vaccine that is needed when a person's level of immunity has decreased over time. Booster doses are very common and are a normal part of most vaccine series.
WHAT IS THE TIMELINE OF RECEIVING BOOSTERS?
Everyone 6 years and older is eligible for a bivalent booster dose.
BIVALENT BOOSTER
Everyone 6 years of age and older is recommended to receive a bivalent COVID booster, regardless of what previous COVID boosters you have received. Bivalent COVID boosters target both the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and the predominant BA.4/5 Omicron strains. These updated boosters will better protect you from infection with the Omicron variant and will provide an overall immunity boost to prevent severe disease.
The new bivalent COVID booster is recommended for everyone six years of age and older (five-year-olds can receive a Pfizer bivalent booster). To be eligible, you must have received your latest COVID-19 vaccine dose at least two months prior to receiving an updated booster.
Please see the graphic below for the timing of doses for the different categories.
CAN YOU MIX AND MATCH VACCINE TYPES?
CDC recommendations allow for the "mix and match" of booster doses, meaning a single booster dose of Pfizer or Moderna may be administered as a mix-and-match booster dose following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC now (12/29/21) recommends that Pfizer and Moderna should be used as booster doses, rather than J&J, unless one of the situations listed here applies.
WHERE CAN YOU RECEIVE A BOOSTER DOSE IN YOLO COUNTY?
A Note on Flu Shots
Many health care providers and pharmacies will allow you to receive your flu shot and COVID booster in the same appointment. Both of these vaccines are very important for building immunity going into cold and flu season, and they are especially important for older adults to prevent severe illness.
1. Call-to-Order Vaccine Program
Anyone who is 5 or older can have any dose delivered to them through Yolo County’s call-to-order vaccine program. To schedule an appointment to have the vaccine delivered, residents can call (530) 902-3230. To schedule an appointment in Spanish, call (530) 220-6481. To schedule an appointment in Russian, call (530) 908-0721.
2. Health Care Provider or Clinic
Click on your health care provider below to find out about their booster process and availability. If you don't have health insurance, or there are no available appointments with your provider, you should be able to make an appointment with any of the providers below.
If you are eligible for the vaccine in Yolo County, call (916) 530-0727 to reach the direct vaccine line for the West Sacramento Elica Health Center and sign up for an appointment.
3. MyTurn
You should be able to find and schedule an appointment using the state’s MyTurn system. Please click here to register and find an appointment or call (toll-free) 1-833-422-4255 for assistance.
4. Pharmacies
Several retail pharmacies are also providing booster shots Please click one of the links below to schedule an appointment at one of the pharmacies. Vaccines.gov is a useful link that shows where the nearest available appointments are, including local pharmacies.
Walgreens (1-800-925-4733)
Rite Aid (1-800-748-3243)
CVS (including in Target) (1-800-746-7287)
5. Yolo County Clinics
Yolo County clinics are now offering booster shots, along with first and second doses. Visit YoloCounty.org/Coronavirus-Vaccine to view the weekly clinics and which doses will be given out at each. Most clinics will allow walk-ins and have all doses available.
6. Move It Up
Move It Up is a new partnership between Center for Reducing Health Disparities, UC Davis Health, and the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity, that focuses on community-based strategies to increase testing access and vaccine uptake by Latinx and African Americans in Sacramento and Yolo counties. They have vaccine and testing clinics each week. Find the schedule for these clinics at https://health.ucdavis.edu/crhd/projects/move-it-up. Walk-ins are very welcome, but you can also sign up for an appointment at MyTurn.
Finally, Yolo Healthy Aging Alliance is here to help you! If you are 50+ and need further assistance signing up for a vaccine, you can call Yolo Healthy Aging at (530) 757-5583, and we will walk you through the process. You can also sign up for a phone friend at https://www.yolohealthyaging.org/phone-friend-forms and check the box that says "I would like help finding a COVID-19 Vaccine."