COVID-19 booster shots are available in Sheboygan County. Here's who qualifies and where to get one.
SHEBOYGAN - Booster shots are now available to people who received any one of the COVID-19 vaccines, depending on their age, occupation and medical history.
Last week, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services gave the OK for clinics to begin giving booster doses to people who initially received the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, after approval from the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Booster shots were authorized for many people who received the Pfizer vaccine in September.
People can get a booster shot of any of the three COVID-19 vaccines, regardless of which vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna or J&J) they initially received, according to CDC recommendations — though some members of the CDC committee said people who initially got the J&J shot should switch it up.
Case rates and hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in Sheboygan County have remained high since the end of July.
More: Sheboygan County has seen an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths since the end of July
Who can get a booster shot?
COVID-19 booster shots are now recommended for everyone (18 or older) who got one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago.
Booster shots are also available for people who are at least six months out from their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and are one of the following:
65 or older;
in a long-term care setting such as nursing homes (age 18 or older);
older than 18 and high risk because of underlying medical conditions such as pregnancy, cancer, a history of smoking, asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart conditions and others; or
older than 18 and at high risk for COVID-19 exposure at work, including first responders, school staff, public transit workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, food and agriculture workers, corrections workers and U.S. Postal Service workers.
Among people who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the CDC recommends that people older than 65, nursing home residents and people older than 50 who are high risk get a booster shot.
The other groups — people ages 18 to 49 who are high risk because of medical conditions or people at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 at work — can decide whether to get the booster.
The CDC also recommends third shots for moderately to severely immunocompromised people who received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, at least 28 days after their second dose.
This includes people who have:
been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood;
received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system;
received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system;
moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
advanced or untreated HIV infection; or
active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response.
Local public health officials encourage people to reach out to their health care provider if they are unsure whether it's recommended that they personally get a third dose of the vaccine.
Where to get a booster shot in Sheboygan County
Local clinics offering booster shots include the following:
Sheboygan County Health and Human Services, 1011 N. Eighth St., Sheboygan. Walk-in vaccinations available 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays, no appointment required. Taking a vaccine card from prior doses is encouraged. Call 920-395-9890 with questions.
CVS Pharmacy. Call 920-452-0079 or schedule an appointment online at www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine.
Walgreens. Call 1-800-Walgreens or any Walgreens store, or schedule an appointment online at Walgreens.com/ScheduleVaccine.
Lakeshore Community Health Care. Call 920-783-6633 to schedule an appointment.
Prevea Health. Call 1-833-344-4373 or schedule an appointment at Sheboygan locations online at www.prevea.com/vaccine. People do not need to be an established patient at Prevea Health to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or booster shot.
Advocate Aurora Health. Call 866-443-2584 or schedule an appointment on the LiveWell app or online at www.advocateaurorahealth.org/coronavirus-disease-2019/covid19-vaccine.
Clinics may ask people to show proof and/or sign an attestation form that they are in an group eligible for booster shots, as defined by Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
More: Sheboygan County Yoga Co-op is taking yoga out of the studio and into the community
Local COVID-19 stats
Sheboygan County is experiencing "high" transmission of COVID-19, as defined by the CDC. About 56% of people in Sheboygan County have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the county COVID-19 dashboard.
In addition:
About 680 people had active cases of COVID-19 as of Oct. 29, according to the county dashboard;
50 people were confirmed to have been hospitalized because of COVID-19 between Oct. 1 to Oct. 28, according to state data; and
Just more than 1,200 people tested positive for COVID-19 between Oct. 1 to Oct. 28, according to state data.
Reach Maya Hilty at 920-400-7485 or MHilty@sheboygan.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @maya_hilty.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: COVID-19 booster shots in Sheboygan: Where to get one, who qualifies
