We write to you today to make you aware of new guidance that has just been released by the Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) as it relates to receiving a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The recommendation to obtain a booster dose is specific to individuals who obtained the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. In this new guidance, the TCHD indicated that the following populations are currently eligible to receive a booster dose of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine if they are at least 6 months after the completion of their original Pfizer series:
- Persons who are 65 years of age or older
- Residents of long-term care settings age 18 years or older
- Persons aged 18-64 years with underlying medical conditions. For a full list of medical conditions please refer to this website.
- Persons aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission due to workplace or institutional setting may receive a booster shot. This may include but is not limited to the following:
- Healthcare workers and first responders
- Individuals who work in long-term care facilities and nursing homes
- School and daycare staff working with students who are not currently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine due to age
- Food and agricultural workers
- Grocery store workers
- Public transit workers
According to our local Tompkins County Health Department, “Vaccine booster shots are recommended because data indicates that the immune response may have waned, and protection weakened six or more months after being fully vaccinated. Emerging data further indicates that receiving an additional, or "booster dose" may safely heighten the immune response, increasing the body's ability to protect from severe COVID-19 disease.”
Any individual who is looking to receive their booster shot should use local resources such as pharmacies and healthcare providers to obtain their booster. The TCHD has not yet announced whether clinics to obtain booster doses will be made available and we do not plan to hold a booster clinic on campus at this time. Ithaca College is not required to write eligibility letters for individuals to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 booster, and all campus community members should follow the eligibility guidelines listed above when seeking a booster from local resources.
Employees may coordinate time off from work to receive the booster with their supervisors and may use up to 4 hours of COVID-19 absence time to be away from work in order to do so.
As we know, vaccination continues to be our strongest defense against COVID-19 and has been instrumental in keeping our campus community healthy and safe. In addition, we strongly encourage you to further protect your respiratory health by obtaining the influenza vaccine. We will be holding our annual flu pod on campus the morning of Tuesday, October 12. Please check Intercom in the coming weeks for more details.
We will continue to monitor information from the state and our local health department and will communicate if booster shots for individuals who received a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccination series are necessary. Additional messaging to the campus community will be distributed as information becomes available to us.
Sincerely,
Kirra Franzese
Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Samm Swarts
Assistant Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response