COVID

The Tulsa Health Department continues to vaccinate anyone ages 12 and up with COVID-19 vaccine clinic locations across Tulsa County.

Tulsa Health Department COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics

THD has COVID-19 vaccine clinics at four of its main sites: James O. Goodwin Health Center, Central Regional Health Center, North Regional Health and Wellness Center and Sand Springs Health Center. Appointments are required to receive the vaccine. Anyone over the age of 12 can make an appointment through the Oklahoma Vaccine Portal. Those 12-17 years old will need a parent or guardian present for consent to receive the Pfizer vaccine. The Moderna vaccine is recommended for those 18 years and older.

View What to Expect at Your Appointment

Other Opportunities
There are other ways to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Healthcare systems and pandemic providers use their own system to schedule appointments. View opportunities: bit.ly/VaxTulsaCo

Different COVID-19 Vaccines

Currently, there are three different COVID-19 vaccines. FDA has granted full approval for Pfizer-BioNTech and given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in the United States to Moderna and Janssen. All currently approved and authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective and reduce your risk of severe illness. 

*12 to 17-year-olds can receive the Pfizer vaccine with parental consent and with a parent/guardian present at the vaccination site.

If you have had a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) or an immediate allergic reaction to any ingredient in the vaccine you are scheduled to receive, you should not get that vaccine. If you have been instructed not to get one type of COVID-19 vaccine, you may still be able to get another type. Learn more information for people with allergies.

Third Dose/Booster Dose

What is the difference?
A third dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) is identical to the first two doses. It can help protect people with weakened immune systems who did not have a strong enough response to the first two doses of one of the mRNA vaccines. Such people can get a third dose as soon as 28 days after a second dose. A booster dose refers to another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who built enough protection after vaccination, but then that protection may have decreased over time (this is called waning immunity). The booster is designed to help people maintain their level of immunity for longer.

Third Doses for Immunocompromised Individuals

Background

• On August 13, 2021, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose for certain immunocompromised people. In addition, the FDA amended the Emergency Use Authorizations for Pfizer and Moderna to allow certain patients to receive a third dose. Additionally, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH signed CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that endorsed the use of an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine for people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems after an initial two-dose vaccine series.

Who is eligible?

• Emerging data suggest some people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not always build the same level of immunity compared to people who are not immunocompromised. In addition, in small studies, fully vaccinated immunocompromised people have accounted for a large proportion of hospitalized breakthrough cases (40-44%). Immunocompromised people who are infected with SARS CoV-2 are also more likely to transmit the virus to household contacts.
• While people who are immunocompromised make up about 3% of the U.S. adult population, they are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness. Included in CDC’s recommendation are people with a range of conditions, such as recipients of organ or stem cell transplants, people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, active recipients of treatment for cancer, people who are taking some medications that weaken the immune system, and others.  A full list of conditions can be found on CDC’s website.
• The additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be the same vaccine as the initial series and administered at least four weeks after completing a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series. Third doses are only given to those who received a two-dose vaccine series (Pfizer and Moderna) and are not approved for those who received the one-dose Johnson& Johnson Janssen vaccine. The third dose is administered at least 28 days after the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna.
• While vaccination is likely to increase protection in this population, even after vaccination, people who are immunocompromised should continue follow current prevention measures (including wearing a mask, staying 6 feet apart from others they do not live with, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces) to protect themselves and those around them against COVID-19 until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider. CDC does not recommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population at this time. At a time when the Delta variant is surging, an additional vaccine dose for some people with weakened immune systems could help prevent serious and possibly life-threatening COVID-19 cases within this population.

What is THD doing?

• The Tulsa Health Department is administering third COVID-19 vaccine doses to patients who are immunocompromised. This includes people who have:
  • Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
  • Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
  • Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection
  • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Booster Doses

Background

The FDA and the CDC have approved and recommended the following should receive a booster shot six-months after the completion of their vaccine series:

• Individuals 65 years of age and older and residents of long-term care facilities; 
• Individuals 50 to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions; 

Additionally, the CDC recommends the following may receive a booster shot: 

• Individuals 18 to 49 years of age with underlying medical conditions and upon consideration of individual benefits and risk. 
• Individuals 18 to 64 years of age who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting 

Those that qualify are eligible to receive their booster shot six-months after the completion of their vaccine series (after their second dose). Currently, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are not eligible for booster administration and guidance is still forthcoming. 

What is THD doing?

• The Tulsa Health Department is administering booster doses of Pfizer-BioNTech to eligible individuals. The Tulsa Health Department will continue to offer vaccines at a variety of locations throughout Tulsa County. Appointments are required and can be made online at www.vaccinate918.com or by calling 211.
• THD will also be on-site at the SageNet Center during the Tulsa State Fair to offer a walk-in vaccine clinic for any dose to individuals who are attending the Fair. 
• Additionally, THD will set up a temporary point-of-dispensing site at the Tulsa Technology Center Broken Arrow Campus on September 27-28. Appointments are required.

Appointments for Any Dose

• There is more than 300+ providers approved to offer the COVID-19 vaccines in Tulsa County. You do not have to receive your booster dose or third dose at the same place you went to originally. The vaccine is widely available at many local doctors’ offices, heath care systems, pharmacies, and big retail chains like Walmart. There is no cost to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Appointments are required at THD and can be scheduled here. They need to bring an ID and copy of their COVID-19 vaccination card to the appointment. Individuals should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
• If clients are experiencing issues with scheduling their third dose appointment, we received this guidance from OSDH (who manages the scheduling portal):
  • If the client is new in the portal, they simply need to complete the registration and book an appointment. If the client has a link to book an appointment, even from months ago, and they have not received 2 doses in the portal, they can use the link to book an appointment.
  • If the client is in the portal but has completed their series (i.e., received 2 doses in the portal), then they will need to register again using a different but valid email address or phone number. They may also add a middle initial if one was not used already. Any of these three things will enable the portal to see this person as a unique registrant.
  • If they are still unable to make the appointment, they can call the phone bank at 918-582-9355 and our team can make the appointment over the phone.

COVID-19 Variants

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur. Sometimes new variants emerge and disappear. Other times, new variants persist. 

The delta variant has quickly become the dominant COVID-19 variant around the world, the U.S., and Oklahoma. Data show that the delta variant is roughly twice as contagious as the initial strain of COVID-19, and people infected with it are more likely to need hospitalization. We are beginning to see increasing transmission among unvaccinated individuals, especially as the delta variant spreads. This does not have to be the case. We have effective vaccines that protect against this variant.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself and those around you from new variants is to get a COVID-19 vaccine. It’s much less likely that you will contract a serious case of COVID-19 that could cause hospitalization or death. Anyone age 12 and older can receive a safe, effective and free COVID-19 vaccine. Other prevention measures like masks and social distancing should be implemented by those who are unvaccinated or too young to be vaccinated. 

If anyone is feeling unwell and is experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms, they should stay home and away from others. Be informed about you or your family’s health by seeking out testing.

Information about the characteristics of these variants is rapidly emerging. Learn more from the CDC.

CDC Guidance after Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccines are proven effective at protecting you from getting sick. The CDC has shared updated guidance for those who have completed their COVID-19 vaccination series. Based on what public health professionals know about COVID-19 vaccines, if you are fully vaccinated, you can participate in many of the activities that you did before the pandemic. To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public regardless of vaccination status. You should continue to wear a mask where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.

It’s vital that Oklahomans continue to take the necessary steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19. These actions and layered approach including vaccines, masking indoors, frequent handwashing and social distancing will make a huge difference in keeping our families and communities safe and healthy in the long term.

If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, schedule your appointment.

State of Oklahoma Vaccine Plan

The distribution of the vaccine was broken out into four broad phases in Oklahoma’s plan. This allowed public health officials to plan generally for different scenarios, given the availability of a vaccine to the state. if you’d like to learn more detailed information about Oklahoma’s vaccine plan click here. If you have questions, please call our COVID-19 Call Center at 918-582-9355 to speak to a public health professional. The number of doses administered by all entities in each county across the state are reported to OSDH through OSIIS and numbers are reported out collectively statewide in their weekly epidemiology report.

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