Third COVID Dose Available At Overton Health Department

The Overton County Health Department announced Monday that a third dose of the COVID vaccine is available for eligible people.

Director Andy Langford said that the number of new daily cases have returned to levels seen last winter. Langford said there are 317 active cases currently in Overton County.

“We have people in our population who need to be protected more due to health conditions they might have,” Langford said. “This is what this booster that we’re giving right now is for. There’s a possibility that we may be looking at a third dose for other people down the road as well.”

Langford said that studies are showing the protection rate of people vaccinated starts to drop over time. He said that both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are available to people eligible for a third dose.

Langford said that over the last two weeks, they are seeing 22 new cases a day. Overton County Health Department Nursing Director Megan Reeder laid out the qualifications for the third dose.

“We’re wanting moderate to severe immunocompromised people,” Reeder said. “So that might be somebody that has active cancer, receiving treatment for cancers of tumors of the blood. Organ transplant or maybe taking medication to suppress the immune system, like a long term medication, long term steroid. If they’ve received a stem cell transplant within the last two years, untreated or advanced HIV is also something and then high corticosteroids or other medicines that will suppress the immune system.”

Langford said people with underlying health conditions are also a concern because of concerns over hospital capacity. Langford said 60 percent of ICU beds are being used by COVID patients.