2nd booster shots now available in Durham and Johnston counties. Here’s who qualifies

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra
·2 min read

Second booster doses of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are now available in Durham and Johnston counties.

Only select groups may get the second booster, if it has been at least four months since their first booster dose.

Here are the groups eligible for the booster, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines:

▪ People 12 and up who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. (Note: Those under 18 can only get the Pfizer booster dose, as the Moderna dose for children still needs authorization from the Food and Drug Administration.)

▪ All adults 50 or older, including those who are not immunocompromised. The FDA authorized second booster shots using the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccines for this group last week.

▪ All adults 18 or older who received Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccines as both their primary dose and first booster dose, regardless of whether they are immunocompromised or not, based on newly published data from the CDC. The second booster must be a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Vaccinations are free, and insurance or ID is not needed.

All people seeking a booster vaccination should bring their vaccination card indicating the brand and date of their original vaccinations.

Durham County

In Durham, booster shots and any other doses and types of COVID-19 vaccines are available by walk-in or appointment at the Durham County health department vaccination clinic at 414 E. Main St. in downtown Durham.

The clinic will be open from Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays until 5:30 p.m.

Individuals can call 919-560-9217 for more information or to schedule an optional appointment or see the health department’s website at DCoPublicHealth.org/COVIDvaccines.

Johnston County

The Johnston County Health Department will offer the booster shots and any other COVID-19 vaccines on a walk-in basis during their established hours Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of Tuesdays until 6 p.m.

Orange County did not return a request from The News & Observer asking about their official rollout of the second mRNA booster shots against COVID-19.

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