What You Need To Know About Getting A COVID Booster Shot In Middle Tennessee

COVID booster shots are starting to be offered more widely in Tennessee. Vaccinations are limited, but not because there aren’t enough to go around. Local health departments are trying to follow federal guidance.

For those who are six months out from being fully vaccinated, here’s the deal:

• Right now, a “booster shot” is approved only if you had the Pfizer vaccine originally. There are some criteria based on age, health and occupation, but the qualifications are so broad that just about anyone who thinks the benefits outweigh the risks can make a case for themselves.
• For those who want a third shot of Moderna, a broad-based booster shot still hasn’t been approved. A third dose of Moderna vaccines is currently available only for those who are immune compromised — ranging from cancer patients to people who take steroids every day.
• The third dose is a judgment call, and people are encouraged to make the decision with their doctors. But a state health official says those seeking another dose won’t be quizzed about their condition.

The big no-no is mixing manufacturers, which is why health departments are asking people to bring their vaccination cards. And for those who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson, a booster is awaiting approval.

At the moment, local health departments in Tennessee are offering the third shots. Some, like Rutherford County, have moved back to larger sites and dropped the need for appointments. The shots are given alongside the first and second doses. There is no difference in the shots.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which was the largest private provider of COVID vaccines early on, is expected to announce plans to offer booster shots to patients and employees later this week.

As for side effects, a study released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds they’re roughly the same as the second dose — including chills, body aches and even low-grade fevers that usually subside within a day.

So far, state data show 96,000 people have received a third dose in Tennessee.