Frederick health department begins offering second COVID booster shots

Mar. 31—The first eligible Frederick County residents received their second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at Frederick County Health Department vaccination clinics Wednesday.

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday authorized an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for two groups: Americans age 50 and older, and young people with severely weakened immune systems, if four months have passed since their first booster.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also recommended the second booster as an option.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the agency, said on Tuesday it's especially important for people ages 65 and older and those in their 50s with chronic illnesses like heart disease or diabetes to consider getting another shot.

The local health department on Wednesday offered second doses of booster shots at its Walkersville Library and 585 Himes Ave. vaccine clinics.

Forty-five people registered for shots at the Walkersville clinic, more than have signed up since the library started offering vaccines in February, said Robin Bowers, administrator of the Walkersville branch of the Frederick County Public Library system.

The library had about 30 people sign up for its first clinic, on Feb. 2, Bowers recalled.

Even more people walked in to get vaccinated at the clinic on Wednesday without first making an appointment. Some came to get their second booster shots, while others were there for their first booster or to finish another stage of their COVID-19 vaccine series, said health department spokesman Shawn Dennison.

Brothers Lewis and Butch Leatherman stopped by the library to get their second booster shot at around 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Butch, 78, proudly showed off his vaccine card, now crowded with the documentation of four shots.

"I'm up-to-date!" he announced.

Lewis, 87, and Butch also got their first shot together on Jan. 15 of last year. They had to wait for five or six hours outside the Walkersville Elementary School until it was their turn.

This time, it was much easier.

"We just walked in," Butch said.

Frederick County added eight more coronavirus cases and one more death from the virus on Wednesday. Frederick Health Hospital was treating four people who had tested positive for the virus Wednesday afternoon, none of whom were in the intensive care unit.

Visit health.frederickcountymd.gov/629/COVID-19-Vaccine to find upcoming vaccine clinics in Frederick County organized by the health department or visit vaccines.gov or marylandvax.org to find other nearby locations that are administering the shots.

The first eligible Frederick County residents received their second COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at Frederick County Health Department vaccination clinics Wednesday.

Follow Angela Roberts on Twitter: @24_angier