EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. — Eagle County hit the ground running in its effort to provide third doses of COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised residents who wish to receive them, offering the first doses at clinics mere days after a federal advisory committee recommended the booster shots.
On Friday, an advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved an additional dose of the two mRNA vaccines — Pfizer and Moderna — for moderately to severely immunocompromised people.
By Monday, the MIRA Bus, an RV that travels the county offering public health services, was offering third doses at a mobile clinic in Avon. Colorado Mountain Medical will offer the third shots to qualifying individuals at its Eagle campus every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We know the third dose booster with this population provides more protection for them and is recommended on a disease severity piece that they’ll have more protection,” said Chris Lindley, Vail Health’s chief population health officer. “So, we don’t want to wait, even though the guidance is not as clear as we would like it.”
The CDC outlined six categories of people that will qualify as “immunocompromised” in this first phase, an eligibility group much smaller than the definition of immunocompromised used in the initial vaccine rollout earlier this year, Eagle County Public Health Director Heath Harmon said.
> Watch video above: 'Increased tensions' over Eagle County Schools mask policy sees response from deputies
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