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Booster shots for those eligible now available at DoH VAX locations

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Vaccination for children ages 5 to 11 will soon be available
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In its latest health advisory, the Health Department announced that the COVID-19 booster doses “are now available” for individuals who have completed the second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and the single dose of the Janssen vaccine.

DoH noted that the booster doses are available for individuals who completed their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna at least 6 months ago or who completed the Janssen vaccine at least 2 months ago.

Those eligible are 65-years and older; age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions; age 18+ who work in high-risk setting, such as hospital, airport, seaport, quarantine, frontline essential workers; and age 18+ who live in long-term care facilities such as Hope House.

DoH advises individuals to get the same type of booster as the initial vaccine but they can get a different COVID-19 booster than their initial vaccine — “mix and match” — if that is their preference.

All those who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine outside of the U.S. — for example AstraZeneca vaccine — may now come and get a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at the DoH vaccination sites: EOB Utulei and DYW gym in Tafuna on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 8a.m. to 12noon.

Bring a photo ID — a drivers license, passport, voter’s ID, Government ID — and your hospital number/card.

DoH also says that it will announced soon the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for younger children ages 5 to 11 and that the U.S Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing approval under “emergency use” for this age-group, and it may be authorized as early as next week.

DOH said it will shortly announce clinics and dates for this age group and that parents or legal guardians must be available to sign the consent forms.

Meanwhile, DoH continues to urge those not yet vaccinated to get the shot in order for the territory to meet the target vaccination rate of 80% or higher of the eligible population.

“COVID-19 vaccines work,” DoH declared. “The COVID-19 vaccines continue to be remarkably effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death, including against the Delta variant.”

According to DoH, the U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows that in August 2021, “the risk of dying from COVID-19 in the U.S was more than 11 times greater for unvaccinated people than for fully vaccinated people.”