Connect

Dear Colleagues,

UVA Health will begin providing Pfizer vaccine booster shots to team members starting on Monday, October 4. Only team members who completed the original two-dose series of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago are eligible for a booster dose. Those who received the Moderna or J&J vaccines are not eligible for a booster at this time and must wait for further recommendations from public health agencies.

Booster shots will be provided in the infusion center on the second floor of the Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center. Appointments are required and must be booked through VaxTrax. Due to a shortage of vaccinators, the number of appointments will initially be limited. Our goal is to increase appointment capacity and add new openings to the VaxTrax calendar as quickly as possible.

It is important to note that booster shots are different than the third doses of Pfizer vaccine that have been allowed for certain immunocompromised patients. The booster shot is intended to prolong a vaccine recipient’s immunity against COVID-19. By comparison, a third dose has been recommended for individuals whose immune system may not have fully responded after two shots of vaccine.

While there is no urgent need to get this extra dose, and boosters are not mandatory, we understand that some individuals want to take this step without delay. In this case, you may want to consider scheduling an appointment at one of the community vaccination sites listed on Vaccinate.Virginia.gov.

Protecting our patients, team members and community from COVID-19 remains a top priority at UVA Health. We look forward to a time when masks, PPE and other precautions are no longer needed. The availability of boosters is an important step in that direction, and we encourage everyone who is eligible to take it. 

If you have questions, please contact CovidVax@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu 

Sincerely,

Joshua Eby, MD
Medical Director, Employee Health 
Medical Director, OPAT
Associate Professor