Southwestern Public Health Addresses Local Vaccine Supply

Thursday, 17 June 2021 12:18

Southwestern Public Health will be administering the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for the foreseeable future, but the mRNA vaccine you receive will be based on the clinic's supply.

OXFORD COUNTY - All of Southwestern Public Health's mass vaccination clinics should have the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines on hand for appointments.

Local Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock says the mRNA vaccine you receive will be depending on the clinic's supply.

"All we can say is that when you come to the clinic, we will tell you what vaccine you're getting. On any given day we won't be sure what vaccine we will have as the main vaccine at a clinic. It will depend on how the supplies of Moderna and Pfizer rollout over the next several weeks."

Southwestern Public Health recently received a large shipment of Moderna, so it will be administering large quantities of that vaccine over the next week or two.

Dr. Lock says they also need to make sure they have enough doses of the Pfizer vaccine for youth between the ages of 12 and 17.

"All of the clinics will have some supply of Pfizer because those under the age of 18 at the moment are only eligible to get Pfizer. So we want to assure that all of our adolescents that you can go to any clinic and get that dose."

She says it's also safe to mix and match mRNA vaccines for your second dose, so you shouldn't be alarmed if the vaccine you received for your first dose is different from your second.

You must wait 28 days after receiving your first dose before you can receive your second dose.

As of right now, Southwestern Public Health is currently allowing people over the age of 70 and those who received their first dose before May 9th to reschedule their second dose appointment for an earlier date.

When asked about lowering the current age requirement for second doses, Dr. Lock says it's all depending on the second dose appointments currently available. Once they start to notice more second dose appointment availabilities, officials will consider lowering the age requirement.