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Hawaii clinics, pharmacies offering COVID-19 booster shots for immunocompromised

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                                The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
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STAR-ADVERTISER

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Several pharmacies and clinics are now administering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for qualified individuals in Hawaii.

On Friday, Hawaii Pacific Health said it would offer the shots following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ endorsement of the use of a third dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for immunocompromised individuals.

The CDC recommends people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial two doses.

This includes people who have been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood, organ transplant recipients taking medicine to suppress the immune system, those with advanced or untreated HIV infection, DiGeorge syndrome, those taking drugs that may suppress their immune response and more.

CDC recommends the additional dose be administered at least four weeks after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday authorized an extra dose of Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to protect organ transplant recipients and those with severely weakened immune systems.

The FDA, however, had no recommendations for recipients of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The following booster shots currently administered in Hawaii are for immunocompromised individuals only.

>> Hawaii Pacific Health began offering COVID booster shots on Friday, and continues this week at the following Oahu locations:

>> Moanalua High School: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. today

>> Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays

>> Hawaii Pacific University at Aloha Tower Marketplace: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday

>> Farrington High School: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday

>> Kailua High School: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday

Appointments are encouraged at HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine, but walk-ins are also accepted.

>> Queen’s Health Systems is offering Pfizer and Moderna booster shots at all vaccine clinics, including at Blaisdell Center, West Oahu, Molokai General, North Hawaii, and its mobile clinics for immunocompromised individuals only. They need to attest that they have a condition to be eligible. Visit covid.queens/vaccine-booster-faq or call the COVID-19 vaccination line at 691-2222 weekdays for more information.

>> CVS Pharmacies/Longs Drugs on Saturday began offering a third dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 shots to eligible, immunocompromised patients according to guidelines shared by the CDC. Eligible patients are strongly encouraged to schedule an appointment for a third dose at CVS.com.

>> Walgreens locations nationwide are offering a third dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines according to federal guidelines. Patients should bring their vaccination record to appointments, and will be required to attest to their eligibility. Call your local pharmacy, 1-800-WALGREENS, or visit walgreens.com.

>> Adventist Health Castle is administering COVID-19 vaccinations at Windward Mall from 12-6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday for those ages 12 and up, and third doses for those who are immunocompromised. Walk-ins are accepted. Appointments can be made at 263-5002 or at this link.

>> Kaiser Permanente Hawaii’s physicians and care teams are reaching out to this subset of patients with instructions that they may receive their third dose at one of its 12 facilities offering vaccinations, according to spokeswoman Laura Lott.

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