Vaccinated teens now eligible for booster shot

Fully vaccinated 16- and 17-year-olds in Oklahoma can now take a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, state health officials said Friday.

All fully vaccinated people ages 16 and up are eligible to take the Pfizer booster dose regardless of which brand of vaccine they’ve already had, officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health said. The Pfizer vaccine, however, is the only booster approved for 16- and 17-year-olds.

“We applaud the decision to make this booster dose available to more Oklahomans, and have the inventory on hand now to immediately begin administering to anyone ages 16 and older,” said Keith Reed, interim commissioner of the health department. “The vaccine is safe and effective, and our best defense against severe illness from COVID-19.”

State health officials said no cases of the omicron variant, which originated in South Africa in late November and has since spread across the United States, have been detected in Oklahoma.

State officials reported Dec. 7 that 2,050,555 Oklahomans, about 61.7% of the state’s eligible population, were fully vaccinated. More than 434,000 Oklahomans have taken a booster dose.

Oklahoma has had 683,719 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, 13,781 of which are active, officials said. Statewide, 12,118 people have died from the virus.

Blackwell has had 1,029 cases, with 947 recoveries and 41 deaths. Braman has had 50 cases. Kaw City has had 112 cases.

Newkirk has had 686 cases, with 665 recoveries and nine deaths. Ponca City has had 5,825 cases, with 5,600 recoveries and 111 deaths. Tonkawa has had 573 cases, with 540 recoveries and 18 deaths.

The state health department does not provide data on coronavirus cases in some of the state’s smallest towns, including Nardin in Kay County.

Vaccinations are available for free at some pharmacies and stores across the county, among other locations.

For more information on vaccinations, or to schedule a vaccine appointment, visit https://oklahoma.gov/covid19/vaccine-information/vaccine-faqs.html.