Greenwich adds another COVID-19 clinic for Moderna booster

GREENWICH — The Greenwich Department of Health is adding another date to a series of clinics it is holding in Town Hall to administer booster doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to anyone age 18 and older.

The upcoming clinics will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 in the lower level of Greenwich Town Hall. A clinic was also held on Dec. 1.

The clinics were scheduled as the town of Greenwich reported an increase in the rate of COVID-19 infection. There have been 6,124 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 in Greenwich since the beginning of the pandemic, an increase of 67 case in the past week, town Director of Health Caroline Baisley said Tuesday. Of those cases, 73 are considered active.

“We need to keep getting people vaccinated,” First Selectman Fred Camillo said Tuesday. “Get your booster shots. Get your flu shot. Keep distancing whenever you can, but do not overreact.”

The town of Greenwich is currently in the “red zone” for its rate of COVID-19 positivity. According to the latest state statistics available, from Nov. 14 to Nov. 27, there were 15.1 new cases of the coronavirus per 100,000 in population.

The clinics are by appointment only through the Vaccination Administration Management System, or VAMS, at https://guest.vams.cdc. gov/?jurisdiction=CT. Select the COVID-19 vaccine and booster dose when prompted when making an appointment via VAMS. The clinics are not restricted to Greenwich residents.

The booster dose is for individuals who have completed their two-shot series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the Moderna vaccine. All individuals who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine can also receive a booster at least two months after their vaccination.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration last month approved Pfizer and Moderna’s requests to expand eligibility for everyone age 18 and older nationwide to receive COVID-19 booster vaccines.

With the number of COVID-19 cases rising statewide, Gov. Ned Lamont is urging residents to get a booster shot.

“If you were vaccinated more than six months ago, get your booster shot. If you were vaccinated more than two months ago with Johnson & Johnson, get your booster shot,” Lamont said last month.

The FDA and CDC now allow a booster dose of a different type of vaccine than what an individual received for their primary series, if they choose.

According to the CDC, all individuals who received a J&J vaccination should receive a booster two months or later from their initial shot. Those individuals are eligible for the Moderna vaccine booster.

Also, everyone age 18 or older is eligible for a Moderna booster who has already received a full vaccination series of two shots of either the PfizerBioNTech or Moderna vaccine, with the last vaccine six months or more ago.

To get a booster at the Town Hall clinic, you must be registered in VAMS for an appointment. No walk-ins accepted.

You must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, with a CDC Vaccination Record Card, a snapshot of your vaccination card, a vaccination record document or any other proof of vaccination, all of which must have name, birth date and vaccine type and dates of vaccination.

Any Connecticut residents who have lost their vaccine card can visit https://ctwiz.dph.ct.gov /ctwiz_public/Application /PublicPortal to print out a copy of their vaccination record.

You must also show proof of identification that confirms who you are as it relates to your proof of COVID-19 vaccination.

Masks are required at the clinic. After receiving a booster shot, you must sit for 15 minutes to check for a reaction.