TYLER, Texas — NET Health is now offering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine appointments for ages 5 through 11.
The clinic is open 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is located at 900 West Bow Street in Tyler.
There is no cost to receive any COVID-19 vaccine.
Anyone who has health insurance such as Medicaid or employee-covered health insurance is asked to bring your insurance card when you come to receive your COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), endorsed yesterday’s recommendation from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) that children above the age of 5 are now eligible to receive the 2-Dose Pfizer vaccine; the second dose can be administered no sooner than 21 days since the first dose.
Dr. Paul McGaha, the Smith County Medical Authority, warns that the children's dosage of the Pfizer vaccine does differ from the adult version of the vaccine. Children should not be given the adult Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Parents and guardians of children who are now eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine should consult a healthcare provider if they have questions about the benefits and risks of their child(ren) receiving the COVID vaccine.
“Vaccination remains the best strategy to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities,” says George Roberts, NET Health CEO. “All COVID-19 vaccines may be co-administered with other vaccines, including the seasonal influenza vaccine, during the same visit.”
For anyone who has yet to receive their first COVID vaccine, anyone over the age of 18 years and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine, or the J & J vaccine.
Anyone between the ages of 5 - 17 can only receive the 2-Dose Pfizer vaccine.
Anyone who previously received the 2-Dose Moderna or the 2-Dose Pfizer vaccine who are in one of the three categories below, booster doses are recommended for those who were vaccinated at least 6 months ago:
- People aged 65 years and older and residents of long-term care settings
- People aged 18 years and older who have underlying medical conditions
- People aged 18 years and older who are at increased risk because their job regularly exposes them to COVID-19 or because of living in a congregate setting
Individuals who received the 1-Dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months ago are also recommended to receive a booster dose. CDC’s recommendations also allow for a mix-and-match approach for booster shots. People should stick with the vaccine they received initially, but the CDC conceded that some individuals may need to mix-and-match due to preference or availability.
COVID-19 booster shots are the same formulation as the current COVID-19 vaccines; however, for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, it is half the dose of the vaccine people get for their initial series.
“Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose,” Roberts said. “Some may prefer the vaccine type they originally received while others may prefer to get a different vaccine as their booster dose
The CDC still recommends that moderately-to-severely immunocompromised people should receive a third dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine at least 28 days after receiving the 2nd dose in order to strengthen their protection against severe disease in populations whose immunity may have started to wane and who are at high-risk of exposure to COVID-19.
For more details about our COVID vaccine clinics, visit NETHealthCOVID19.org.