San Rafael, CA – After successfully launching a COVID-19 booster shot clinic dedicated to older adults age 75 and older, Marin County Public Health and Safeway Pharmacies are expanding eligibility of the San Rafael site to all who meet the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria for receiving the highly sought-after additional dose.
The pop-up vaccination clinic, located in Northgate Mall’s center court, is operated in partnership with Safeway Pharmacies.Nearly 600 booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have been administered at Northgate since September 29 to older adults who had completed their initial Pfizer vaccine series six or more months ago.
Overall, approximately 2,900 third/booster doses have been administered to Marin County residents, with most doses given at local pharmacies and medical providers. In monitoring overall capacity of the site in combination with other vaccine administrators in Marin County, Public Health determined inviting a wider audience to the Northgate Mall location would not impede an older adult’s ability to obtain a booster dose.
The clinic, located in mall’s center court (5800 Northgate Drive, San Rafael) is operated in partnership with Safeway Pharmacies and offers vaccines by both appointment and walk-in. The clinic will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 1-7 p.m. and Thursdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Safeway Pharmacies is also administering flu vaccines to anyone who seeks a booster from the Northgate site. To date, more than 200 flu vaccines have been given away at the booster clinic.
Last week, the CDC authorized a Pfizer/BioNTech booster shot for people who received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series at least six months ago, and are:
- A resident of a long-term care facility, or
- Age 65 or older, or
- Age 18 or older with underlying medical conditions, or
- Age 18 or older who work in high-risk settings.
Occupations highlighted as high-risk settings include first responders (health care workers, firefighters, police, congregate care staff); education staff (teachers, support staff, day care workers); food and agriculture workers; manufacturing workers; corrections workers; U.S. Postal Service workers; public transit workers; and grocery store workers.
Those who received a Pfizer vaccine before May 2021 are probably eligible for a booster dose, said Dr. Matt Willis, Marin County’s Public Health Officer. The CDC’s booster dose eligibility list corresponds to the groups that were prioritized for first doses in early 2021.
“Booster doses offer an added measure of protection that can prevent infection, severe disease or death as the pandemic progresses,” Willis said, “so everyone who is eligible should consider a booster based on their individual benefits and risks.”
For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including locations offering a booster dose, visit GetVaccinatedMarin.org.