Springfield-Greene County Health Department scheduling COVID booster appointments for 12 to 15-year-olds

(From the Springfield-Greene County Health Department)

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is pleased to announce that booster appointments for those 12-15 years old can now be scheduled following Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) approval on Jan. 6. 

DHSS approval comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the expansion of booster eligibility earlier this week.

 

Additionally, approval was granted for moderately to severely immunocompromised 5-11 year olds to receive an additional primary dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 28 days after their second shot.

Those who received the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are eligible for a booster dose 5 months after becoming fully vaccinated. The Health Department encourages parents to get their teenagers a booster shot as soon as they are able. Scheduling is available online at vaccine417.com or through the Health Department call center at 417-874-1121.

Scheduling is also available now for parents to make an appointment for their 5–11-year old’s who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

Booster doses have shown to be extremely effective in preventing symptomatic cases of COVID-19. Against the Omicron variant, data reported by the CDC shows that a booster dose prevents 75% of people who become infected with COVID-19 from having a symptomatic infection compared to the 35% of those who received a 2-dose vaccine.

Receiving a booster can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and even death among those who contract COVID-19. As cases continue to rise, hospitals in Greene County will reach the limits of their capacity, with unvaccinated individuals making up an overwhelming majority of the hospitalizations. The Health Department encourages parents to take note of the proven efficacy of the booster and schedule an appointment for their child in the 12 – 15 age range to better protect them and their classmates as the new semester begins.

For those who are ready to make the choice to get vaccinated, $50 gift cards are still available for 1st or 2nd doses, while supplies last. Vaccination appointments can be made online at vaccine417.com or by calling the COVID-19 Call Center at 417-874-1121.