what to know and where to get them in Memphis
Fall is for the promise of sweater weather and Halloween decorations. It’s also the time of year health officials plead with the general public to get their yearly flu shot.
This year, flu shot season is coinciding with the release of an updated COVID-19 booster. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently signed off on updated booster shots from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
The FDA’s actions earlier this month related just to the vaccines manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Both of their vaccines will be updated to target the omicron variant XBB.1.5, which was the dominant variant this spring and early summer.
It has since been replaced by other variants, but early research suggests the new vaccines will be protective against those variants, as well.
Earlier this month, the FDA officially:
- Approved use of the updated version of Comirnaty, Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine, for people 12 and older.
- Approved use of the updated version of Spikevax, Moderna’s vaccine, for people 18 and older.
- Authorized use of the updated versions of both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines for emergency use in children ages 6 months through 11 years.
The booster is recommended for all ages and groups and senior citizens, young children, and the immunocompromised stand to benefit most from the booster. The most recent hospital data available through the Shelby County Health Department shows hospital admissions for patients seriously ill with COVID-19 have gone up 43% in one week for a total of 80 patients in Memphis area hospitals.
The COVID-19 booster is typically available free of charge at area pharmacies and community health centers. And most insurance companies cover flu shots entirely.
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Where to find COVID-19 boosters, flu shots in the Memphis area
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a handy tracker for finding vaccine availability in your area through its website.
CVS pharmacies in the Memphis area have both vaccinations and are scheduling appointments at the chain’s clinics. To sign up for an appointment, head to its website.
Likewise, Walgreens pharmacies also have both vaccines available. It’s recommended that you schedule an appointment online for convenience, but both Walgreens and CVS will accept walk-ins.
The Shelby County Health Department offers flu shots for free at some Memphis-area clinic locations. Those locations are:
- Cawthon Public Health Clinic: 1000 Haynes
- Immunization Clinic: 814 Jefferson
- Millington Public Health Clinic: 8225 Highway 51 North
- Shelby Crossing Public Health Clinic: 1826 Sycamore View Rd.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal who covers issues tied to healthcare, resource access, and equity. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.
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