Oneida County announces COVID-19 vaccine booster availability

UTICA, N.Y. — Oneida County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. on Tuesday announced that COVID-19 booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be available to eligible residents on Thursday and Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New York State Health Department are now recommending booster doses for certain groups determined to be high risk, Picente’s office said in a Tuesday news release.

“While we still continue the push to get our county residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19, we must now also make sure that at-risk residents who have been vaccinated already remain protected through booster doses,” Picente said. “Several groups are now eligible to receive these boosters and county government will be administering doses beginning this week.”

At this time, individuals must have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for their initial vaccine series at least six months ago to be eligible. Individuals who received the Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine are not currently eligible but may be soon.

Eligible county residents must bring a valid COVID-19 vaccine card or Excelsior Pass with proof of previous Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Those who do not have either forms of vaccination proof should contact the Oneida County Health Department at (315) 798-5431 before their appointment.

Locations

The first Oneida County-operated COVID-19 booster vaccination points-of-distribution (PODs) are set for:

Thursday at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, with appointments available.

Friday at Mohawk Valley Community College Jorgensen Center in Utica. An appointment can be made here.

Eligibility

Oneida County residents are eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine if they received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine more than six months ago and fit in at least one of the following categories:

Should receive booster dose:

• 65 years or older.
• Resident of a long-term care facility.
• 50-64 years-old and are at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions*.

May receive booster dose:

• 18-49 years-old and at high risk of severe COVID-19 due to underlying medical conditions*. (Should be based on an assessment of individual benefits and risks and consultation with medical provider).
• 18-64 years-old whose job puts them at high risk for COVID-19.

*For a full list of criteria and medical conditions that qualify for a booster, you can visit www.ocgov.net or https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses