MU Health Care to receive updated Pfizer vaccine next month
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
MU Health Care will receive the updated COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, according to the co-chair of the vaccine committee.
Laura Morris said MU Health Care will receive its initial shipments of the vaccine about a week after Labor Day.
The U.S Food and Drug Administration approved and granted emergency use authorization for the updated booster vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer on Aug. 22. The vaccines will target the Omicron variant KP2.
MU Health Care will receive the vaccines at a time where experts say parts of the state, including Columbia are seeing a wave of cases.
"Numbers dropped off in the spring until in April. They were just about the lowest we'd seen them, it was looking really good," said Marc Johnson, a professor at the University School of Medicine. "Now, we're back up about where we were in January. It's about the highest, about the highest now it's been in a year."
Johnson said a derivative of KP2, called KP311 is the main variant spreading in Columbia.
According to data from the CDC, out of the 4,798 COVID-19 tests taken between Aug. 17 and Aug. 22 in Region 7--which includes Missouri--Nebraska--Iowa and Kansas-- 19.5% of tests were positive. As of July 13, 13.2% of 1,512 cases were positive.
Morris said while she wouldn't classify the current numbers as a "surge" she said parts of the community are seeing an increase in cases. She said she recommends those who are 65 years or older or are immunocompromised receive the vaccine sooner, rather than later.
"Those are folks who really should prioritize going ahead and getting their vaccine soon. Get it now," Morris said. "If you are younger, otherwise pretty healthy or you've had COVID recently, then you might consider delaying the timing of your dose just a little bit."
Morris said the vaccine should last a person approximately 4-6 months and advises people to wait three months after having COVID to receive the vaccine. She said this is due to your immune system already being boosted from having the infection and immunity lasting at least three months and potentially longer.
Morris also said it's important to remember that even though younger people are not typically at risk for COVID, they can still spread it.
She said she recommends people take a COVID-19 test if they begin to feel sick.
