January 6, 2022
Pfizer vaccine boosters available for 12- to 15-year-olds (Message to UW Medicine patients)
To Our Valued Patients and Their Families:
Based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), UW Medicine is now providing booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to all patients 12 years of age and older who completed their primary Pfizer vaccine series at least five months previously.
The new guidance — which applies only to the Pfizer vaccine at this time – expands booster eligibility to 12- to 15-year-olds and reduces the recommended time between the completion of primary vaccination and a booster dose from six months to five months for all patients 12 and older.
Additionally, the CDC and FDA now recommend a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for certain immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11.
UW Medicine continues to offer booster doses for all patients 18 and older who completed a vaccination series of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months previously or who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months previously. Although your booster is not required to be the same COVID-19 vaccine as the one you received in your initial dose(s), the Pfizer or Moderna (mRNA) vaccines are preferred in most situations.
Patient booster scheduling
To schedule your booster, please call 844.520.8700 to join a call-back list. Appointments are available at UW Medical Center – Montlake, UW Medical Center – Northwest, Harborview Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, North King County Vaccination Clinic in Shoreline and UW Medicine primary care clinics. We also continue to provide first and second vaccine doses as well as third doses for eligible immunocompromised individuals at these locations.
Please note that children ages 5 to 11 are not currently eligible to receive a booster.
For more information about boosters, visit UW Medicine COVID-19 Updates & Information. If you have questions about whether a booster is appropriate for you, please contact your provider.
Importance of boosters and update on COVID-19 therapeutics
Boosters can extend vaccine effectiveness, reduce your risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19, and maximize your protection against the new Omicron coronavirus variant.
If you do get infected, vaccination also significantly reduces the likelihood of needing one of the COVID-19 therapeutic treatments now offered at UW Medicine, including monoclonal antibody treatment and, starting this week, an oral antiviral treatment. These therapeutics are in limited supply and available only to patients at high risk for severe disease who meet strict eligibility requirements. All patients seeking therapeutics at this time must be referred by their provider; please do not seek therapeutic treatment through emergency departments.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we expand our vaccination efforts to align with the latest guidance from our public health officials. We appreciate your partnership with UW Medicine for your healthcare needs.
Sincerely,
Lisa Brandenburg
President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics
Vice President for Medical Affairs
University of Washington
Timothy H. Dellit, MD
Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine
Vice President for Medical Affairs,
University of Washington and
President, UW Physicians
