Memphis, Shelby County to offer booster shots soon

Those who received vaccines earliest can obtain third doses of Pfizer or Moderna by Sept. 20

Memphis is preparing to be able to offer COVID-19 booster shots to those eligible this fall.

Doug Mcgowen, the city of Memphis' chief operating officer, said during the COVID-19 joint task force meeting Thursday the city awaits the states direction but people with no underlying conditions can expect to get a third shot as early as mid-september.

The CDC outlined Wednesday that by Sept. 20 people who received the vaccine earliest in the process, like health care providers and seniors, or those who got the second shot eight months ago can obtain the third dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said Monday the state was beginning to administer the booster shots of Pfizer and Moderna.

Piercey said from May through July, 88% of hospitalizations and 94% of deaths were among unvaccinated individuals. The small percentages who were vaccinated have by and large been people with compromised im

mune systems, either due to illness or medication, she said.

“The vast, vast majority of hospitalized patients statewide are unvaccinated,” she said. “Vaccination is still the single best tool we have to prevent serious disease and death.”

People who are unsure about whether they need a third shot should reach out to their doctor, officials said. Doctors are also expected to reach out to immune-compromised patients and recommend a third shot.

Dr. Steve Threlkeld, director of infection prevention for the Baptist Memorial Health Care system, said about 3% of Americans have a condition that may prevent them from developing adequate immunity through vaccination.

Small-scale studies from Johns Hopkins showed that a third shot did help generate additional antibodies in solid organ transplant patients, one of the categories of immunosuppressed patients who should receive an additional vaccine dose.

According to a letter sent from the state health department to healthcare providers, people who are eligible for a third vaccine shot have the following medical conditions:

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies

• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy

• Receipt of Car-t-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant if they are within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy

• Moderate or severe primary immuno-deficiency such as Digeorge or Wiskott-aldrich syndromes

• Advanced or untreated HIV infection

• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids such as 20mg or more of prednisone or an equivalent drug per day, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, TNF blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory

ARIEL COBBERT/COMMERCIAL APPEAL People wear face masks as they enter Crosstown Concourse on Thursday. A countywide mask mandate for indoor public settings begins Friday, and officials say vaccine booster shots could be available to Memphians as early as mid-september.