New COVID-19 boosters arriving at Central Texas pharmacies, health care providers
DSHS said about 200,000 bivalent boosters shipped to large pharmacies last week, but the state does not know when these pharmacies will start giving these doses. Large pharmacies include H-E-B, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Some doses of the updated COVID-19 booster shots are now available in the Austin area.
On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved updated boosters from Pfizer and Moderna. The updated shots should better protect people against BA.4 and BA.5 variants. The bivalent booster recommendation replaces prior booster recommendations for people ages 12 and older.
Austin Public Health said some pharmacies are scheduling appointments for these doses. The agency said on Monday it ordered the new boosters and will give more details on the vaccines soon.
Williamson County and Cities Health District said it will offer the new boosters at its four health clinics, but it hasn't received them yet. It hopes to receive doses this week, a spokesperson said.
The Texas Department of State Health Services said about 200,000 bivalent boosters shipped to large pharmacies last week, but the state does not know when these pharmacies will start giving these doses. These include H-E-B, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart pharmacies.
Another 900,000 doses for Texans will go to health care providers, smaller pharmacies and clinics. These began shipping this week, a DSHS spokesperson said.
People should check with their pharmacy, doctor or local health department for booster availability, the spokesperson said. Vaccine and booster availability is also available on www.vaccines.gov.
Peoples Rx's North Lamar location is one location administering the new locations. It received 100 initial doses.
Peoples Rx pharmacy director Nicola Trevis said vaccine demand waned over the summer, but the pharmacy received more phone calls and emails this week looking for the new booster. People can schedule appointments online, and Trevis said they can schedule their COVID vaccines and other vaccines at the same time.
Austin Regional Clinic is expecting to receive new boosters between Sept. 8 and 15 and will send the new boosters to its 24 primary care clinics once it gets shipments, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr. Manish Naik. Appointments can be scheduled online after the new boosters are available.
"The boosters are formulated to better protect against the variants currently circulating and may give broader protection against newer variants," Naik said in a statement. "Boosters can be given to people two months after their primary series or their last booster."
The new Moderna booster is recommended for people ages 18 and up. The updated Pfizer booster is recommended for people ages 12 and up. The CDC said it expects updated booster recommendations in the coming weeks for other pediatric groups.
"They can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination and were designed to provide broader protection against newer variants," CDC director Rochelle Walensky said in a statement.
During a White House COVID-19 Response Team briefing Tuesday, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said Americans can visit vaccines.gov to find locations near them with the new vaccines.
"By the end of this week, over 90% of Americans will live within five miles of these new, updated vaccines," Becerra said.
KXAN has also reached out to several area pharmacies and health care providers to learn more about their updated booster availability. This article will be updated if we hear back.