On Friday, Sept. 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave final authorization for a booster shot of the PfizerBioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for certain populations. The CDC also recommended a booster dose for those in high-risk occupational and institutional settings. In anticipation of federal approval of the booster, Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) has been preparing for these additional vaccinations. Additionally, further below, learn about upgrades made this week to the JCDHE COVID-19 dashboard.

INFORMATION ON BOOSTERS

Residents who quality for the Pfizer booster dose may begin immediately to get this dose from their provider, pharmacy or any authorized distributor. JCDHE will offer vaccines, including the booster dose by appointment, starting Monday, Sept. 27. Proof of earlier vaccination doses will be required. Although residents do not need to return to the same provider of their initial dose, they do need to receive the same brand of vaccine. At this time, only Pfizer is approved for boosters. 

CDC recommends the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine be administered at least six months after the second dose. The following individuals should receive a booster shot:

• Those 65 years of age and older
• Residents of long-term care
• Individuals 50-64 years of age with underlying medical conditions that make them at risk for severe COVID-19

In addition, CDC recommends the following individuals may receive a booster shot:

• Those 18 through 49 years of age with underlying medical conditions, based on the individual benefit and risk
• Individuals 18 through 64 who are at increased risk of COVID-19 due to their workplace or institutional setting

For additional information about underlying conditions, please see People with Certain Medical Conditions | CDC.

Booster doses are not available to those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine or children 12-17 years old.

“While we are a resource for booster vaccinations and are happy to help answer any questions about eligibility, please consider your primary care provider, local pharmacy and other vaccine providers as additional resources,” said Charlie Hunt, JCDHE deputy director. “Although it’s important for qualified residents to receive their booster dose, we continue to encourage those who are unvaccinated to receive this much-needed level of protection from the virus as well.”

Those with questions about the booster and residents in need of assistance to schedule their booster appointments can call 913-715-2819 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can also email jcdhe@jocogov.org, and emails will be answered Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spanish speakers will be available to answer calls or emails. Those who are eligible can search for a nearby vaccine provider by visiting vaccines.gov, texting their ZIP code to 438829 or calling 1-800-232-0233. 

JCDHE is asking that anyone seeking a booster dose, as well as a first, second or additional dose, at JCDHE schedule an appointment to receive the vaccination. Vaccines will be available by appointment only beginning Monday, Sept. 27. The appointment scheduler is available online at jocogov.org/coronavirus. Vaccines will be available at two locations:

• Starting Monday, Sept. 27: JCDHE’s Mission site, 6000 Lamar, Mission
• Starting Monday, Oct. 4: Sunset Drive Office Building, 11811, S. Sunset, Olathe

JCDHE reports that overall, 66.9% of eligible persons in Johnson County, Kansas, are at least partially vaccinated and 62.2% of eligible people are fully vaccinated.

JOHNSON COUNTY COVID-19 DASHBOARD UPDATES

The COVID-19 dashboard has been updated. Some changes include:

• Key Community Metrics tab has been added
• Cumulative Summary tab has been renamed to Case Demographic Data
• The Incidence Rate and Percent Positivity are now being calculated on a seven-day rolling average instead of the previous 14-day rolling average. This change aligns with how the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the CDC calculate these metrics.
• Information about vaccinations and cases allows the user to toggle between several data choices.
• Information about probable cases has been added. This change aligns with how KDHE calculates these metrics.

Please see the COVID-19 dashboard for all dashboard updates. Learn more about what’s new and where to find what you need in these FAQs and video. For more information about COVID-19 go to jocogov.org/coronavirus.