Sanford Bemidji and Beltrami County Public Health Offer Booster COVID-19 Vaccines

By following approval from the FDA and CDC, Sanford Health and Beltrami County Public Health are both offering booster doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccines.

The CDC and FDA have also approved the mixing and matching of different brands of booster doses regardless of the initial brand of vaccine a person has received.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Wilcox, says, “It is clear that severe COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting those who are unvaccinated. Since the pandemic started 90% of all hospitalized patients at Sanford Health have been unvaccinated. For the critically ill patients requiring ICU and ventilator care, the numbers are even higher at 96% and 98% respectively. If you have not been vaccinated, there is no better time to start than now.  For those who have been vaccinated, we are happy to announce the availability of all recommended booster vaccines.”

Those who are eligible for both Moderna and Pfizer booster vaccines, are people 65 years and older, and those 18 years plus with underlying health conditions or people with jobs that put them at higher risk. Any manufacturer can be used for a booster.

Those who have received the Janssen Vaccine, people who are 18 year of age and older can receive a booster at least two months after their initial dose. Any manufacturer can be used as a booster.

Sanford Health offers the Pfizer, Moderna, and limited Janssen vaccines at multiple Sanford Health locations in Beltrami and surrounding counties. If anyone would like to make an appointment, they can do so by calling (877) 701-0779 and selecting option #1 or by going to My Sanford Chart.