Campus News

UGA to administer COVID-19 booster shots

Vaccine check-in station at the University Health Center. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)

Pfizer vaccines will be administered to those who meet eligibility requirements

The University of Georgia’s Health Center will begin offering booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine on Sept. 27.

The booster shots will be available to UGA faculty, staff, students, retirees and dependents over age 18 who have received the Pfizer vaccine series—two doses completed more than six months ago—and who meet eligibility requirements outlined by the Georgia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Vaccines are still our best defense against COVID-19, and this booster shot will help ensure that our more vulnerable populations are protected from severe disease,” said Dr. Shelley Nuss, campus dean of the AU/UGA Medical Partnershipand co-chair of the University’s Medical Oversight Task Force. “I also urge those who have not started their initial vaccination process to do so.”

Appointments may be scheduled at patientportal.uhs.uga.edu. Individuals should bring their original vaccine card to the appointment. Those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccines are not eligible to receive a Pfizer booster dose at this time, per CDC guidance. Vaccination status will be verified on-site.

Based on the FDA’s authorization and CDC recommendations, the following groups are eligible to schedule appointments for the Pfizer COVID-19 booster dose if it has been at least 6 months since the completion of the primary Pfizer series:

  • People 65 years and older;
  • People aged 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions;
  • People aged 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, based on their individual benefits and risks; and
  • People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Boosters are recommended to prolong protective immunity against the COVID-19 virus because experts are beginning to see reduced protection against mild and moderate COVID-19 disease in certain individuals.

The University Health Center is offering COVID-19 vaccinations free of charge to faculty, staff and students and their dependents over age 16. To date, more than 26,000 vaccines have been administered to members of the UGA community.