Have Questions About The Covid-19 Boosters?

KEEP READING.

by Precinct 4 Commissioner Dianne Edmondson

photo courtesy by Commissioner Dianne Edmondson

We are thankful for the hugely successful drive-through clinic at Texas Motor Speedway. Many of you have been asking about the next phase of COVID-19 and whether boosters will be available. Will younger people -- such as younger school children -- also be able to get vaccinated? When will we know the answers to these questions? And does the County have a plan to deal with these pandemic issues?

Let’s take a look at these questions. First of all, as we are aware, anyone who is immunocompromised is eligible for a Pfizer or Moderna booster. And, of course, we still are administering Pfizer’s first and second shots. Use our DCHD portal at dentoncounty.gov/COVID19vaccine to sign up now for any of these services. You can choose your date and time as we continue to hold clinics throughout the County each week.

The FDA, CDC, and the Texas Department of State Health Services recently approved booster doses for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine recipients. Denton County Public Health (DCPH) is sending self-scheduling links to DCPHvaccinated individuals who are eligible for a COVID-19 Pfizer booster dose. Appointments will be available to selfschedule for individuals who are:

• Six months or more from their second Pfizer vaccine • Meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) eligibility criteria

Individuals vaccinated by DCPH should not rejoin DCPH’s Vaccine Interest Portal Waitlist, as this may cause delays in receiving self-scheduling messages for booster doses. Individuals also can receive booster doses from primary care providers, pediatricians, or pharmacies, as vaccines are currently available at multiple providers and pharmacies throughout Denton County. Eligible individuals who received first and second doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from providers other than DCPH are eligible to receive a booster dose at their previous provider or join DCPH’s Vaccine Interest Portal waitlist.

At this time, booster doses are in the process of being authorized for individuals previously vaccinated with Moderna and may be available by the time you read this. The same process as mentioned above will be used with those receiving Moderna.

With the other vaccine makers also testing their products and seeking additional approvals, many additional people will become less vulnerable to the virus through vaccinations.

Each week in September, the Denton County Health Department reported thousands of new cases and, since August 22, there have been more than 3,000 cases each week. Tragically, there were 11 deaths reported in the second week of September. Early in the third week of September, only one staffed ICU bed was available in all of our county hospitals.

While cases are beginning to decline in October, DCPH is still reporting an estimated 1,500 to 2,000 cases per week. Hospital ICUs have a few additional staffed beds available, but only six were available in the third week of October.

That means that COVID patients who need Intensive Care and anyone else with issues requiring that specialized care – such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia, serious accidents, etc. – will also have difficulty getting appropriate care.

The virus is striking all age groups in Denton County, primarily the unvaccinated, as you can see in the DCPH statistical information at dentoncounty.gov/COVIDstats.

In light of the ongoing surge, we urge each of you to follow the CDC guidelines and remember that this invisible enemy doesn’t play political favorites. It is nonpartisan in selecting its victims.

Contact Commissioner Edmondson by email at Dianne.Edmondson@ dentoncounty.gov or call her at 972-4343960. You can also stop by her office in the Southwest Courthouse, located at 6200 Canyon Falls Drive, Suite 900 in Flower Mound.

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If you would like to receive an e-newsletter, please contact Commissioner Edmondson at 972.434.3960 | Dianne.Edmondson@dentoncounty.gov | Southwest Courthouse: 6200 Canyon Falls Dr., Ste. 90