Deaconess, St. Vincent unveil plans for updated COVID vaccines
EVANSVILLE — New, updated — and reportedly better — COVID-19 vaccines are starting to become available from the Tri-State's two largest hospital systems.
Deaconess Health System said Thursday that updated Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines will be available beginning next week at drive-thru Flu Shot clinics, most Deaconess Urgent Care and Express locations and primary care clinics.
The current formulation for Pfizer and Moderna is already available in Ascension St. Vincent's retail pharmacies for individuals 12 and older.
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"We’ve been administering it. The demand has actually been fairly high, which is good," said Dr. Heidi Dunniway, regional chief medical officer for St. Vincent. "I’m happy to see good uptake."
Nationwide, more than 7 million people already have received the updated COVID-19 vaccines as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Reuters news service reported Sunday that some people have found it challenging to book vaccination appointments or find the shots at no cost.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines target the XBB.1.5 variant. That variant was the dominant one in the U.S. earlier this year when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to choose the makeup of this fall's vaccine. Officials knew it would no longer be dominant by now, which it isn't.
The EG.5 variant accounts for nearly 30% of infections in the United States, with FL.1.5.1 accounting for just under 14%, HV.1 just under 13%, and XBB.1.16.6 about 10%. About two-dozen more variants make up the balance.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the updated vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer in mid-September.
The new vaccines are expected to be effective against the currently predominant EG.5 variant and other emerging variants, according to academic multispecialty practice Yale Medicine.
"The updated vaccines are not expected to prevent all cases of COVID, including those causing mild illness; rather, their aim is to reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death from infection," Yale Medicine reported last week. "According to the CDC, COVID is still a major cause of serious respiratory illness, with more than 200,000 reported deaths since January 2022."
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Deaconess said individuals should visit deaconess.com/flu to schedule an appointment at one of its drive-thru clinics or at other available sites. Individuals also may call their primary care physician’s offices to schedule.
"You will be able to schedule and receive just a flu shot, just a COVID vaccine or both at all locations," a Deaconess statement said.
The drive-thru clinic openings happen:
Deaconess Clinic Henderson — 8 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Oct. 21.
Deaconess Clinic Lynch Road — 8 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Oct. 28.
Patients 12 and over can receive the Pfizer vaccination at all the Deaconess locations. Deaconess said vaccines for patients under 12 are available at pediatric urgent care and pediatrician offices. COVID vaccines are not available at the Deaconess Express Clinic located inside Meijer supermarket.
Ascension St. Vincent retail pharmacy hours are:
9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Medical Office Building Pharmacy/main campus.
8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at Epworth Pharmacy.
Vaccine walk-ins are accepted, according to St. Vincent. Vaccine administration typically stops about 30 minutes before closing.
One more thing, St. Vincent's Dunniway said: "Booster" is a word that no longer applies.
"We’re looking at it truly as a new vaccine, kind of like we look at flu vaccine every year," she said. "It changes based on what’s circulating. We anticipate the COVID vaccine will do the same, so we’re no longer talking about a booster. We’re talking about just the vaccine."
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Where can I get a COVID vaccine in Evansville?
