News Photo by Julie Riddle Dr. Alex Senchuk, pharmacist at LeFave Pharmacy in Alpena, displays a vial of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at the store on Friday.

ALPENA — As confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 increase in Northeast Michigan, residents are clamoring for booster shots of coronavirus vaccines — but most are not yet eligible for another dose, a pharmacist explained.

With this week’s full approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recent recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a third vaccine dose to go to certain at-risk people, local residents are flooding the phones at LeFave Pharmacy in Alpena, asking for another dose for themselves or a loved one, according to Dr. Alex Senchuk, pharmacist at the business.

Most of them have to wait, because only people with cancer or advanced HIV infection or who take medications to suppress their immune system currently qualify for another dose, Senchuk explained.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services plans to offer COVID-19 vaccine booster shots for all Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20. Those shots may be administered eight months after a person’s second dose.

The local demand for boosters accompanies an increase of local cases of COVID-19 infection.

Since Monday, public health officials have reported 38 newly infected or probably infected Northeast Michiganders — including 11 Alpena County residents, seven Presque Isle County residents, three Montmorency County residents, and 17 Alcona County residents.

Story continues below graphic.

Based on federal definitions that consider a person living 30 days after infection to have recovered from the disease, The News estimates 398 Northeast Michiganders — 85 more than the week before — were actively infected on Thursday.

The CDC recommends a third vaccine dose for people whose immune systems probably don’t produce a normal number of antibodies after the first two doses, Senchuk explained.

While the third doses currently available should be considered part of a full dosing cycle for certain people whose immune systems need the extra help, a booster — much like an annual flu shot — should be available to anyone within a few weeks, Senchuk said.

He suspects the boosters, much like other vaccinations, will become part of annual health maintenance for most people.

“Coronaviruses have been around forever,” Senchuk said. “We just never needed a shot for them.”

Story continues below graphic.

BOOSTER FAQs

Health Department officials provided answers to other questions residents may have about booster shots.

∫ Will someone tell me when I should get my booster?

No. The third dose is voluntary and a decision to be made by individuals in conjunction with their health care providers.

∫ Do I need to make an appointment?

Currently any vaccinations through the Health Department require an appointment, which residents can make by calling 800-221-0294. Other providers establish their own vaccination policies. A list of local booster providers and contact information can be found on the Health Department website at dhd4.org/covid19vaccine.

∫ Should I get a booster of the same vaccine I received the first time?

You should receive a third dose of the type of vaccine you received originally. At this time, an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination is not recommended until further guidance is issued from the FDA and CDC.

∫ I lost my vaccination card. Can I get another one?

Regardless of where you received your vaccination, your health care provider has access to your vaccination information. Contact them to request a replacement card. Someone without a provider may call to make arrangements with the Health Department.

∫ What symptoms should I expect after a booster shot?

While everyone’s response is different, the Health Department has not heard of any adverse reactions. The same symptoms one might have experienced with initial doses could be experienced with a third dose.

VACCINATION RATES

As of Wednesday, 57% of Alpena County residents 16 or older had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to state data.

In Alpena County, four out of five youth aged 12 to 15 and a two-thirds of teens 16 and older have not been fully vaccinated.

Story continues below graphic.

The county’s 16-and-older vaccination rate has increased only one percentage point in the past month.

Vaccination rates in other Northeast Michigan counties have increased at a similar rate and now stand at 61% of Presque Isle County residents, 55% of Montmorency County residents, and 57% of Alcona County residents fully vaccinated, according to the state.

Since January, fewer than 1% of Michiganders who were tested after full vaccination tested positive for COVID-19, according to a CDC nationwide investigation, the state reported. That 1% includes 779 hospitalizations and 267 deaths.

OTHER CURRENT COVID-19 DATA

∫ Since the pandemic’s start in mid-March 2020, public health officials have reported 5,083 Northeast Michiganders infected or probably infected and 140 related deaths. The last deaths of Northeast Michiganders who had been infected were reported on Aug. 19, when health officials reported the deaths of two Alcona County residents.

∫ An average of 48 Alpena County residents have been tested for COVID-19 per day in August, up from about 34 per day in July. About 18 residents of other Northeast Michigan counties have been tested each day this month.

∫ In Michigan, 99% of positive tests in the last four weeks were produced by the delta variant, according to state data. As of Monday, the delta variant had not been identified in Presque Isle County but is present elsewhere in Northeast Michigan, according to the state.

∫ As of Monday, eight COVID-19 patients were admitted at MidMichigan Medical Center-Alpena, none of them in intensive care. The hospital was 40% full.

∫ Most current outbreaks identified by the state this week have been in assisted living facilities and child care or youth programs.

Below, view a list of the COVID-19 vaccination booster providers, as provided by District Health Department No. 4.

Covid 19 Booster Shot Availability by Julie Riddle on Scribd