Onondaga County to hold Covid-19 booster shot clinics this week – syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Onondaga County will hold its first Covid-19 booster shot clinics this week for people at elevated risk of becoming serious ill or dying from the respiratory virus and who have already received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

The first clinic will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at the Oncenter at 800 S. State St. A second clinic will be held the next day -- Thursday, Sept. 30 -- at the Oncenter.

The hours for the second clinic have not yet been set and will depend on turnout for the first clinic. We dont know what demand is going to look like, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon said Monday.

The clinics will be held in partnership with Kinney Drugs. They are free and open to those who have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago and who are:

McMahon said those who have received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines are not eligible for the boosters because the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not approved the use of booster shots from those drug makers.

People must pre-register for the clinics at the countys website, ongov.net, or at the Kinney Drugs website.

Residents may also get the booster shots at their doctors office or at any drug store that is offering Covid-19 vaccines.

In addition, the state is giving Covid-19 booster shots at the Art and Home Center at the State Fairgrounds in Geddes. Appointments can be made on the state website.

Five people in the county died of Covid-19 over the weekend, McMahon reported. Three men in their 40s, 50s and 80s -- all with underlying medical conditions -- died. A woman in her 50s with no underlying conditions and a woman in her 60s with an underlying condition died.

McMahon said he did not know if any of those who died were vaccinated.

The deaths bring to 767 the number of county residents who have died from disease during the coronavirus pandemic.

Thirty-one more Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospitals over the weekend. Fifty-one percent of them were unvaccinated, McMahon said.

He said 22, or 92%, of the 24 Covid-19 patients in the county who are in intensive care units were unvaccinated.

Health experts say the best way for people to avoid becoming seriously ill or dying from Covid-19 is to get vaccinated.

McMahon said 348 people in the county tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday, 188 on Sunday and 169 on Monday.

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Onondaga County to hold Covid-19 booster shot clinics this week - syracuse.com