By Pacific Island Times News Staff
The government of Guam today announced that booster shots are now available at the University of Guam Calvo Field House for people who had a normal immune response to the first two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, but because of time, antibody levels are beginning to wane.
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is the only FDA-authorized vaccine to administer as a booster.
Pfizer Inc. said that data from the U.S. and Israel suggest that the efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine wanes over time, and that a booster dose was safe and effective at warding off the virus and new variants.
The following groups of people are eligible for a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech if they completed the Pfizer-BioNTech series (first two doses) and it has been 6 months or more since the second dose:
Anyone age 65+
Anyone age 18 - 64 with underlying medical conditions
Anyone 18 - 64 with an elevated risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to their occupation (healthcare workers, law enforcement, fire, K-12 teachers and support staff, university faculty, daycare employees, food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, USPS workers, corrections workers, public transit workers, grocery store workers)
Those eligible may make an appointment at tinyurl.com/vaxguam. Walk-ins are accepted but should be prepared for longer wait times. Please see below for clinic hours:
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention last week said people who are now eligible to receive a booster shot will benefit from additional protection.
CDC earlier released a study stating that ror individuals who had most recently received their second dose – between 14 and 120 days previously – the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 91 percent effective in preventing hospitalization. In comparison, effectiveness fell to 77 percent when the period since the person became fully vaccinated exceeded 120 days.
The study showed contrasting results for Moderna, whose vaccine was over 90 percent effective in preventing hospitalization for both cohorts. The difference in effectiveness between more and less recently vaccinated individuals – just 1 percentage point – was not statistically significant.
CDC said it will continue to monitor the safety and effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines to ensure appropriate recommendations to keep all Americans safe.
Subscribe to
our digital
monthly edition