Where to get your COVID-19 booster shot in Lexington area, plus eligibility info
Local health care providers are gearing up for the arrival and roll out of updated COVID-19 vaccines that offer renewed protection against both fast-spreading Omicron variants and the original coronavirus strain.
Some providers, Walgreens and CVS, for example, have already begun offering the new booster shots at some of pharmacy locations in Lexington, while other providers like UK HealthCare and the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department are preparing to administer them as soon as possible.
If you’re having trouble getting an appointment, don’t fret, because more will likely be available soon. Here’s what to know.
UK HealthCare plans to offer updated boosters as early as next week
Lexington’s health department and UK HealthCare are waiting for official word on when they’ll have the new COVID-19 Omicron vaccine boosters in hand. But both believe that word will come soon, possibly as soon as this week for UK HealthCare.
“We haven’t received (the vaccine boosters) yet. So we’re expecting to ideally have the product by late this week and offer it Monday, Sept. 12,” said Dr. Jim Hallahan, the assistant director for pharmacy operations at UK HealthCare.
The plan would be to distribute the boosters to eligible individuals through UK HealthCare’s retail pharmacies and at its vaccination clinic at 245 Fountain Court in Lexington, a spokeswoman said.
Who’s eligible to receive the updated COVID-19 boosters?
According to Hallahan, it depends on the kind of booster the individual is receiving.
For the Moderna vaccine, anyone age 18 and older can receive the shot — provided they are at least two months out from any vaccine dose, whether that’s the original series or its subsequent boosters.
The new Pfizer vaccine booster is available to anyone 12 years of age and older, with similar rules about when individuals should receive it after previous vaccine doses.
If you only recently caught COVID-19, health experts say it makes sense to wait a few months given you still have a high level of immunity, although that immunity is temporary, NPR reported.
They will be available at no cost to the recipient.
To qualify for this new bivalent vaccine, which indicates it targets both the original strain and the two most common Omicron strains, you must have received the original COVID-19 vaccine series. Those who have not will still be able to get the original monovalent vaccine at UK pharmacies, Hallahan said Tuesday.
State notification of an arriving shipment could be just a few days away, Hallahan said Tuesday, and UK HealthCare is anticipating to get “a couple thousand” doses right off the bat.
Lexington’s health department planning booster events this month
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is hosting two upcoming clinics to administer the updated COVID-19 boosters, the agency announced on its Facebook account Tuesday.
Online registration opens soon at lfchd.org/vaccine.
These two dates are:
Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster (ages 12 years+): 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 22, Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road (pending vaccine availability).
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster (ages 18 years+): 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 29, Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road (pending vaccine availability).
There will be no direct cost to the vaccine recipient, and individuals do not need to have insurance to get it, the health department said.
“We will begin giving both (Moderna and Pfizer boosters) in the Public Health Clinic by same-day appointment Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting Oct. 3 by calling 859-288-2384,” LFCHD spokesman Kevin Hall wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader.
Walgreens, CVS roll out COVID-19 boosters at local pharmacies
Both Walgreens and CVS began offering updated boosters Friday, though availability might vary from pharmacy to pharmacy as more doses are shipped.
You can schedule an appointment at Walgreens and CVS here and here.
Walmart is now administering updated COVID-19 boosters at some locations, and online scheduling will be available soon on its website, the company said.
You can also cast a wider net and search for available COVID-19 vaccines and boosters at vaccines.gov/search/.
