The Tennessee Department of Health is now offering booster doses of COVID vaccine to certain populations, as of Friday, September 24.
A single dose booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine can be administered for individuals who met these criteria:
•People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
•People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series,
•People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks, and
•People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
More information on the CDC’s recommendation for a booster dose is available online.
Local health departments across the state will be administering the booster dose, including the Wayne County Health Department in Waynesboro, TN. Information on appointment availability can be found at https://covid19.tn.gov/covid-19-vaccines/availability/. Appointments are not required. The Federal Pharmacy Partnership (FPP) for Long-Term Care (LTC) Program is facilitating on-site vaccination for residents in long-term care facilities. Additional vaccine providers offering the Pfizer vaccine can be found by visiting http://www.vaccines.gov. Patients do not need to prove their diagnosis or health condition to be eligible for the booster dose.
More information on the Pfizer booster may be obtained by calling the Wayne County Health Department at 931-722-3292. Please note at this time, the booster doses of Pfizer are the only approved boosters. Those who received the Moderna vaccine are not yet eligible for a Moderna booster.
The Wayne County Health Department is also still offering free curbside COVID testing by appointment only. Tests are available on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Anyone with questions about COVID vaccines or testing is encouraged to call the South Central Regional COVID Hotline at 931-490-8312.
