TOLEDO, Ohio — The Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot will be available at the Lucas County Recreation Center starting Wednesday, but officials are asking the public to come prepared to expedite the process.
Health Commissioner Eric Zgodzinski held a news conference Tuesday morning and asked those who sign up to bring the proof of vaccination card they were given when they received their first dose of the COVID vaccine. He also asked individuals to bring a picture ID.
"Please locate your vaccine card and bring that with you," Zgodzinski said. "If you don't have that, we have to search records and it's going to take a lot longer. We are also asking you to sign up for an appointment. Go to our website and walk through it - it's relatively easy."
Rec center appointments can be accessed here. Zgodzinski said anyone with questions or concerns about the booster shot should contact their physician.
For now, only those who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and meet the additional criteria listed below are eligible to receive a booster.
UPDATE:
As of Wednesday afternoon, the clinics now will be available for both walk-in clients and those who wish to schedule an appointment.
To expedite services and prevent added registration time, you are encouraged to schedule an appointment. Visit www.lucascountyhealth.com/covidvaccine or https://gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov/ to schedule an appointment.
Call the COVID-19 hotline at 419-213-4100, option #1, for assistance making an appointment. Calls are answered Monday-Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm.
Zgodzinski said Moderna and Johnson & Johnson will likely release their own versions in the future.
"If you got Moderna and you're looking for a booster and in one of those groups we just talked about, we're not going to be able to give that to you. If you got J&J, the same thing here," Zgodzinski said. "So, what we're trying to do is, if you got Pfizer as your vaccine, you're going to get your booster as Pfizer. Eventually, I do believe Moderna is going to come out with a booster and so is J&J."
The rec center can administer 3,000 shots per day and as many as 7,000 in an emergency. Appointments are required, but walk-ins could be accepted in the coming weeks.
The rec center is offering appointments on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting at 9 a.m.
BOOSTER ELIGIBILITY AND INFORMATION
COVID-19 booster shots are now available for many Ohioans. Click here for a list of vaccination sites and additional information on the shot.
COVID-19 vaccine booster doses have been authorized for certain recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine to prevent serious outcomes from COVID-19 illness. Eligibility for booster doses is currently limited to individuals at the highest risk for severe COVID-19 based upon their age, certain underlying medical conditions, or occupational/institutional settings as outlined below. A booster dose is recommended at least six months following completion of the original PfizerBioNTech/Comirnaty vaccine series.
At this time, booster doses are authorized only for the Pfizer vaccine and the following people:
- Individuals ages 65 and older and residents of long-term care facilities should receive a booster dose.
- Individuals ages 50 to 64 with certain underlying medical conditions that put them at high risk of severe COVID-19 should receive a booster dose.
- Individuals ages 18 to 49 with certain underlying medical conditions may receive a booster dose, based on their individual benefits and risks.
- Individuals ages 18 to 64 who are at high risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of an occupational or institutional risk of exposure may receive a booster shot based on their individual benefits and risks.
COVID NUMBERS
Lucas County is averaging 156 new daily COVID cases over the last 14 days. Pediatric cases are at 594, which is down from 658 on Sept. 10. The figure is still much higher than the 277 reported a month ago.
Zgodzinski said those numbers are still much higher than "acceptable" levels.
"We were hoping to see lower numbers," he said. "We did last week, but popped back up over the weekend. The state is seeing a downward trend. The problem here is Lucas County came into COVID issues later than the southern portion of the state."
There are 206 COVID patients in county hospitals and 161 are in the ICU. Those numbers are about double from a month ago.