Trinity Health is accepting appointments for booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The boosters are available to individuals determined to be eligible for a third dose by federal health authorities.

Guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says four groups are eligible to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. The guidance allows for a single booster dose to be administered at least six months after completion of the full two-dose Pfizer series. Those eligible are:

– People over age 65

– People 18 years and older with underlying medical conditions placing them at risk for severe COVID

– People 18 and older living in a group setting such as nursing homes or group homes

– People 18 and older working in occupations placing them at risk. Examples are nursing home staff, healthcare workers, teachers, and day care staff, among others.

Appointments for the Pfizer boosters are available by calling Trinity Health’s Vaccination Line at 857-2515. Vaccine appointments are open to adults 18 years of age and older and can be obtained Monday through Friday or at a special Saturday vaccine clinic scheduled Oct. 2. Masks are required in all Trinity Health facilities.

Both the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are available by appointment. Patients have the option of getting a “two-shot combo” by receiving their flu shot at the same time as their COVID-19 vaccination.

“People can get a COVID-19 vaccine — the first, second or third dose — and a flu shot at the same time,” said Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Casmiar Nwaigwe. “Experience has shown that the body’s immune response and side effects are generally the same whether the vaccines are administered at the same time or separately. You no longer need to wait 14 days between vaccinations.”