Following a decision last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to recommend COVID-19 booster shots for certain sections of the population, Austin Public Health is gearing up for a local rollout of the booster program. However, a firm timeline for that program to begin remains an unknown, according to Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Sturrup.
“We are still waiting for final guidance,” says Sturrup. “We haven’t gotten the guidance on how to implement boosters safely. And as soon as we get that guidance, we will be ready to provide booster vaccines to our community.”
There is also some question about mixing different vaccines. For example, Austin Public Health is awaiting guidance on whether or not someone who was vaccinated with two doses from Moderna would be able to take a booster shot from Pfizer.
“When we get that final detail about the mix-and-match, we’ll have that information rolled into our communication plans and our operations will be ready to support,” Sturrup says.” But we just don’t have the guidance yet.”
Austin Public Health is currently offering third doses for those who are immunocompromised.
“Different from a booster, a third shot,” says Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes. “And that can be given 28 days after their last shot, so we have that program in place.”
As of Friday, September 24, Austin Public Health reported the area had reached a 70-percent vaccination rate, which is the low-end for herd immunity. Officials say herd immunity is anywhere between 70-and-90-percent.
