Can you mix COVID vaccines if you have an appointment issue? Your questions answered.
The St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency fields questions from viewers every Sunday about COVID-19. The briefing, which is streamed daily on the agency’s Facebook page, often focuses on testing, safety protocols and vaccinations.
Here are two of the most pressing questions answered by Myla Blandford, deputy director of the St. Clair County Health Department and County Chairman Mark Kern.
Q: I haven’t been able to get an appointment for my second dose of Pfizer or Moderna. Should I get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine instead?
A: No, you should not combine doses of any two vaccines. St. Clair County officials said the Pfizer shots, in particular, were in a bit of short supply. The second dose needs to be delivered 21 days after the first; officials say it’s OK to go longer than 21 days between doses, but not less than 21 days.
Q: What happens if there are extra vaccines at the end of the day? Can St. Clair County open it up to the next priority group?
In St. Clair County, appointments are tied to a vaccine dose that’s on hand. Throughout the day, officials say they compare the appointments to doses, in case anyone didn’t show up for their appointment. That way, they can start finding people to take the dose sooner rather than later.
Inventory data from the Illinois Department of Public Health runs late, so while those numbers may sometimes indicate an excess of vaccines, St. Clair County officials say that within a week or so they and their partners — including East Side Health District and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center — are back down to zero.
Currently, Illinois is in Phase 1B. St. Clair County officials said they’ve asked the state about opening up appointments to those who qualify for Phase 1C, but the state hasn’t given a day yet. IDPH’s vaccine rollout plan says Phase 1C includes “other essential workers.”
Vaccine sites are only able to “dip” down into lower priority groups if the vaccine would otherwise go to waste, St. Clair County officials said.
As the vaccine supply becomes more regular, St. Clair County officials say they’ll be able to schedule out appointments further in advance.