The Tompkins County Health Department will hold Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster clinics on Jan. 29 at the Shops at Ithaca Mall vaccination site.
The Moderna clinic is available to those aged 18 and older and will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The Pfizer booster clinic, accessible to individuals aged 12 and older, will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Registration for the vaccines can be found on the New York State Department of Health website for both the Moderna and Pfizer clinics.
The Center for Disease Control recommends Moderna boosters for those who have completed the initial two-dose vaccine series at least five months prior to the booster or received a single-dose vaccine at least two months ago. Only those who are 18 years or older will be allowed to receive the Moderna booster.
The CDC offers the same guidelines for the Pfizer booster, but recipients may be as young as 12 years old. Any minors interested in receiving the Pfizer booster must have a parent or guardian present to give consent.
Everyone interested in getting the booster should bring their CDC issued COVID-19 vaccination cards to their booster shot appointments.
The emergence and spread of the Omicron variant has increased the importance of boosters and prevention efforts needed to protect individuals against COVID-19, according to the CDC website.
As of Jan. 26, according to the Tompkins County Health Department, there were 388 active cases in the Tompkins County area. This represents a significant drop from the 1,102 active cases recorded on Dec. 15, 2021 –– the day after the University declared a red alert level and moved final exams online.
As of Jan. 26, individuals in Tompkins County have taken 1,767,740 total tests.
The University partners with the Tompkins County Health Department and the Cayuga Health System to determine COVID-19 safety guidelines by monitoring several indicators, including the spread of the virus in the greater Ithaca area.
Free TCAT bus transportation to vaccination sites is available in Tompkins County when travelers present proof of a scheduled booster vaccine appointment. Students can ride the 30 and the 90 buses from campus to the vaccination site at the Shops at Ithaca Mall.