October 6, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
Bonnie Obremski, COVID-19 Communications Specialist, Jefferson County Public Health, bobremski@co.jefferson.wa.us
Bivalent COVID-19 booster available to anyone eligible at upcoming clinic
JEFFERSON COUNTY— Jefferson County residents who are eligible for a bivalent (omicron) COVID-19 booster may receive their vaccination at a clinic at Chimacum Junior/Senior High School on Saturday, October 15 from 9 AM-12 PM. A person is eligible when:
- They are at least 12 years old
- They have had at least one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine or completed their series of the Pfizer, Moderna, or Novavax vaccine
- They are at least two months beyond their last dose of vaccine
Clinic details:
Saturday, October 15
Chimacum Junior/Senior High School
9 AM-12 PM
Appointment required; mask required
Sign up to receive Moderna (18+): https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov//appointment/en/reg/6079129291
Sign up to receive Pfizer (12+): https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov//appointment/en/reg/1269970721
Reach the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management Call Center phone at 360-344-9791 for registration assistance. Please leave a message and someone will return your call. Staffing is limited so exercise patience while waiting for your return call. If registrant has health concerns that restrict mobility or registrant is homebound, please let the call center know.
These clinics are operated by Jefferson County Public Health in partnership with the Jefferson County Department of Emergency Management. Pending federal and state approval, the county plans to operate a clinic on Saturday, October 22 at Blue Heron Middle School to administer the omicron booster to eligible young children.
$50 gift cards are available for anyone who is unhoused, at risk of being unhoused, or fleeing violence. To claim a card:
- Register online for your omicron booster at one of the above links or call 360-344-9791
- Call Olympic Community Action Programs (OlyCAP) at 360-385-2571 x 6349 to notify them of your registration and request a gift card to be picked up at the clinic
- Ask for your gift card when you check in at the clinic
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why should I receive another booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine?
A: The bi-valent (omicron) booster should keep most people from feeling sick if they are exposed to COVID-19.
All COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against hospitalization and death. Over time, however, the original formulations of the vaccines have grown less effective at preventing a person from feeling sick. That’s because the dominant strains of the virus are different than the ones that circulated early in 2020. This updated booster specifically targets omicron BA.4 and BA.5, which are the current dominant strains.
Q: How has the updated booster vaccine been tested for safety?
A: The updated booster vaccines use the same basic formula as the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines that have been carefully tested in humans. Over 500 million people in the United States have safely received these vaccines under the most intense safety monitoring in U.S. history.
The updated Moderna and Pfizer booster vaccines use the same ingredients as their other COVID-19 vaccines, with one change to one of the proteins to target the Omicron variants. These updated boosters will be monitored to see how effective the use of the different protein is at protecting against Omicron, as well as monitoring for safety.
Q: Why does the online registration form ask me for insurance information?
A: Despite what the registration form says, your insurance will not be billed for your COVID-19 vaccination. There is no charge for the vaccinations administered at our mass vaccination clinics. We apologize for any confusion. That part of the online registration form was not customizable.