The Student Health Center will begin providing COVID-19 vaccine booster shots, according to an email sent Oct. 29.
“Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine boosters are immediately available to eligible Columbia campus students, faculty or staff members age 18+,” the email said.
The health center said those who received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine should receive a booster at least two months after their first dose. Those who received their second dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine can get a booster six months afterward, according to the email.
Appointments can be made on the university health services website MyHealthSpace, according to the email. Eligibility details will also be available online.
Boosters should be of the same manufacturer as any original dose, “but people may choose a different vaccine for the booster dose if desired,” the email said. According to the email, people who are immunocompromised should have all doses be the same product.
The email said Pfizer vaccines are not offered on campus, but the email includes a link to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control's vaccine locator service, which can be used to find providers of any vaccine type.
“Studies show that after getting vaccinated against COVID-19, protection against the virus may decrease over time and be less able to protect against the Delta variant. Data suggests that a booster dose can increase immune response, which results in improved protection against COVID-19, including Delta,” the email said.