COVID In Colorado: Pharmacists Prepare For 3rd Dose, Booster Shots Of Vaccine

DENVER (CBS4) - Pharmacists and doctors preparing for the third dose of COVID-19 vaccine becoming available to everyone in one month say there is still a lot they need to learn from additional research on the benefits. It is not clear who all will need a booster shot besides adults who are immunocompromised.

"Right now it's confusing," said Carly Callan, a pharmacist at Capitol Heights Pharmacy. "It's a lot of reteaching and telling them we can't do this right now."

While those who have received an organ transplant or have cancer are currently eligible, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says all Americans will need to wait until Sept. 20. If eight months have passed since the date of a second dose of the vaccine, people who received either the Pfizer or Moderna shots can get a third dose. Phases helped to prioritize who got the vaccine first in the spring for the initial doses, a similar approach may not be necessary this fall.

"I don't think it's going to be as bad," Callan told CBS4 on Friday. "We're just having conversations with them, a lot of our older populations have been calling, looking for it."

Dr. Micelle Barron says she wants to review more data to determine who else needs a third dose. The research so far shows that it will help the immunocompromised, she said on a video conference call.

"It's probably not going to be perfect for everyone," Dr. Barron said of a third dose to CBS4 on Friday. "We definitely know that the vaccine works, we know that it's safe and that it works amazingly well."

As experts like Barron monitor breakthrough infections, they remain confident in their guidance by the overwhelming percentage of hospitalizations made up of unvaccinated people. She says looking at the potential for the third dose to stop more people from becoming severely ill will help determine who needs the additional shot.

"There's nothing that works 100% in the world, that's just a reality," Barron said. "A cold we can manage, usually you can do that fine, obviously when it starts impacting you beyond that, it's a whole other issue in terms of how we need to manage your care."

She said older adults would likely be the next group to focus on for booster shots. Demand is not expected to be as high for the third dose compared to the initial shots in the spring, supply also is much larger currently so there isn't as much concern about getting the next shot to those who want it. Barron hopes, given the supply, that people who haven't received any doses of the vaccine consider getting the shot as it is not too late to get the protection needed from COVID-19.

Pharmacies could play an important role in helping people get the third dose more so than they did for the first and second shots. Capitol Heights Pharmacy has plenty of all three vaccines, giving customers the option to choose which shot they want if they're not previously vaccinated.

They have seen an increase in people getting their first dose as employers require it. But they have to ask customers to be patient when they want more information about the third dose. For now, those who qualify must sign that they have a condition making them eligible and staff check the state database to make sure they get the correct third dose.

"It's just a waiting game until we can figure that out," Callan said.