HARLINGEN — As the omicron variant spreads closer to home, residents are rolling up their sleeves during the first big rush for COVID-19 booster shots.
In response to calls, city health officials today are holding a drive-thru clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering booster shots along with COVID-19 vaccinations at the Harlingen Convention Center.
“The request for boosters is increasing now that omicron’s coming,” Josh Ramirez, the city’s health director, said Wednesday. “They are getting the message that omicron, in the manner that it’s spreading so quickly, is a concern for us in the U.S.”
So far, health officials have confirmed the variant has spread as close as the San Antonio and Houston areas after its identification in southern Africa on Nov. 24.
“It’s probably already here,” Ramirez said. “It just hasn’t been detected.”
The omicron variant is bolstering health officials’ call for booster shots.
For those who took the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommending booster shots six months after the initial doses.
Meanwhile, officials are recommending those who took the Johnson & Johnson vaccine take boosters two months after the first shot.
Boosting protection against more resistant strain
Researchers are finding the highly mutated omicron variant appears more resistant to COVID-19 vaccines, leading health officials to recommend booster shots to help rebuild protection.
“They’re encouraging people to get boosters because they’re effective against the variant,” Ramirez said. “The best thing is to act now to get the booster — you have to act like it’s already here. People who have received the booster are not ending up in hospitals or needing hospitalization.”
Warnings of winter infection wave
This winter, boosters could help hold down a potential wave of infections.
As the delta variant’s cases drop across much of the country, health officials are warning omicron could spike infections as colder temperatures keep more people indoors during holiday gatherings.
“This is a time when people are traveling, visiting relatives, so we want to make sure everyone has some protection,” Ramirez said. “As the cold fronts come in, people are gathering more inside with family — there’s more activity.”
Targeting children 5-11
During the vaccination clinic, officials are also administering COVID-19 vaccines, targeting children 5 to 11 years old, for whom the Federal Drug Administration in late October approved Pfizer’s pediatric vaccine, whose dosage is a third of the original vaccine’s dose.
As part of the vaccination program, Cameron County’s offering $50 cash cards to children 5 to 16 year olds who take their first vaccine shots, Ramirez said.
While Cameron County’s fully vaccinated 77.14 percent of residents 5 and older, pushing its vaccination rate into the state’s top five, officials are working to narrow the gap, offering COVID-19 vaccines to residents who’ve been holding out.
No appointment required
At the clinic, officials aren’t requiring appointments.
“People can just drive through,” Ramirez said.
To help cut waiting time, a team of six to 12 nurses are administering the vaccines and boosters to people in as many as six cars at a time, he said.
