With much in the news about COVID-19 vaccine boosters and President Biden’s executive order about future COVID-19 vaccine mandates, we know that you have questions. While many details are not yet clear, UI Health Care is preparing for potential changes and will keep you updated.
In the meantime, here are three things to know about what may come next with vaccines:
1. On Thursday, Sept. 9, President Biden announced a vaccine mandate for federal employees, any business that employs more than 100 people, and facilities such as ours that receive Medicare or Medicaid funding. We are working to understand the implications of this executive order on our facilities and will share more information as it becomes available. More than 90% of UI Health Care employees are already vaccinated and we encourage everyone to visit our vaccine hub on The Loop to learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated and the safety of vaccines.
2. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is currently the only vaccine that is being evaluated for boosters. The Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) and Moderna vaccines, while not yet under review, may be evaluated for approved for boosters in the near future.
3. Before COVID-19 vaccine boosters can be administered, authorization is needed from both the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If COVID-19 boosters are authorized, administration of booster vaccinations could begin as soon as the week of Sept. 20. More details will be shared early next week.
More information will be shared once details are determined by the federal governing agencies.
Be sure to check The Loop and Noon News for more details on COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
Is there a timing re how soon to have flu shot and covid booster? or can they be the same day?
Hi Crystal,
Great question. If boosters are authorized by the FDA and CDC, we believe they will be able to be given on the same day as a flu vaccination.
If boosters are authorized, can employees who received the Moderna vaccine series receive a Pfizer booster shot? My understanding was that this was acceptable in immunocompromised individuals receiving boosters.
Hi Lindsey,
Thanks for this question. Your booster vaccination should be the same brand of vaccine that you received for your initial dose(s). At this time, Pfizer-BioNTech is the only COVID-19 vaccine authorized for boosters. The CDC is evaluating available data in the coming weeks to swiftly make additional recommendations for other people who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. These vaccines are still working very well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
When will we know if the vaccine will be mandated?
Hi Lauran,
Thank you for your question. We are working to understand the implications of this executive order on our facilities. While we don’t have a timeline for this yet, we’ll keep you updated when more information becomes available.