3rd COVID-19 Shot Available To Some Illinoisans: Where To Get It

ILLINOIS — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week recommended a third shot of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people with weakened immune systems. Driven by concerns about the more-contagious delta variant, federal health officials are also planning to authorize a booster shot for all adults starting in September, according to the New York Times.

Who is currently eligible?

According to the CDC, moderately to severely immunocompromised people should sign up for a third dose at least 28 days after their second shot of an mRNA vaccine. Federal health officials say the recommendation affects about 3 percent of adults nationwide.

That means nearly 400,000 Illinoisans are likely eligible, including anyone who has:

• Been receiving treatment for tumors or blood cancers
• Received an organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressants
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking immunosuppressants
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Been taking high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

If you're not sure if you're eligible, talk to your doctor.

Where can you sign up for a third shot if you're eligible?

If you are currently eligible for a third shot, or just want to start planning the expected expansion next month, you have a few options.

Pharmacies offering a third dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines include:

• CVS
• Hy-Vee
• Meijer
• Sam's Club
• Walgreens
• Walmart

Check your pharmacy's website to see if you need to book an appointment or can just walk in to get your shot. Other pharmacies may begin offering the shots in the coming weeks, so keep checking back if yours isn't listed.

You can also visit vaccines.gov, text your ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find vaccination clinics near you. Some Illinois sites that may not be listed on the federal website can also be found at coronavirus.illinois.gov/vaccines/vaccination-locations, along with an interactive map.

The CDC cautioned that people shouldn't mix and match COVID vaccines if you can help it, so sign up for the same type of vaccine as your first two shots. But if you don't know which type of shots you received, health officials said it's fine to get either the Pfizer or Moderna. Illinois residents can also use the state's "Vax Verify" portal to check their vaccination status and see which vaccine they originally received.

The CDC said there isn't yet enough data to say whether a second shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine would give extra protection against the coronavirus. While that could change, a J&J booster has not yet been authorized.

All the vaccines currently available in the United States have been through multi-phase clinical trials with more than 30,000 participants — plus millions of ordinary Americans who have now received a shot. The side effects are the same as the first two shots: soreness at the injection site, fatigue, fever, chills and headache. Allergic reactions are rare. All providers have medicine available to treat such reactions, and studies suggest that if you weren't allergic to the first two shots, you'll be fine with the third.