Shifting federal guidelines and supply chain issues have left some local residents confused about when they will receive their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is required to achieve the greatest possible immunity against the disease.
Austin Public Health ramped up its vaccine distribution activities in January following its designation as a regional hub by the Texas Department of State Health Services. On Feb. 8, APH said in a social media post it had yet to receive the required second doses of the Moderna vaccine for recipients who had their first shot four weeks prior. Those doses came in Feb. 9, according to a later tweet from APH.
According to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the thousands of people who had their first shot in January will be immunized from COVID-19 as long as they receive their second dose sometime in the next two weeks.
Although previous guidance from the FDA and CDC said second doses should be given 21 or 28 days after a first dose for Pfizer and Moderna, respectively, the CDC updated its guidance in late January in response to new trial research showing that second doses could be administered up to 42 days later.
