Eligible Oklahomans Begin Receiving Their 3rd COVID-19 Vaccine Shots

Across the U.S. and in Oklahoma, people that are immunocompromised have already started receiving a third dose.

Tuesday, August 17th 2021, 6:17 pm

By: Ashley Holden

The White House is expected to announce new guidance on COVID-19 boosters this week.

We're told they will recommend Americans who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine to start getting a booster shot eight months after their second dose.

But people that are immunocompromised, like Monica Burnett and Maggie Gregory, are already able to receive a third shot.

"Because of COVID and how contagious it is, I stayed in. I didn’t go anywhere," Burnett said.

The 24-year-old said 18 months ago her whole life was put on hold by COVID.

"It took what little time I spent out in the world away," Burnett said.

For people who are immunocompromised, vaccines don't always have the same effect.

"I have a primary immune deficiency," Burnett said.

She told News 9 she also has lupus and psoriatic arthritis.

"So, I'm on three different immune suppressant medications," Burnett said.

That's on top of monthly treatments.

Burnett said recent antibody tests showed her protection from COVID was very low.

In the last few days, Burnett and Gregory were two of the first Oklahomans able to get another dose of protection.

"I wanted to be around my family, around my family that has kids [and] my friends that have kids and be able to protect them as well as myself," Gregory said.

The process for both women was simple.

"The Walgreens that I went to, I was his first third dose," Gregory said. "So, he was kind of excited to give it to me."

Burnett took a trip to a local Walmart to get her shot.

"It was my first time I had been in a Walmart in 18 months," Burnett said.

Although the dose doesn't give people like Burnett complete relief, it does give them hope.

More fully vaccinated people could be getting another shot by the middle of next month.

News 9 reached out to the Oklahoma State Department of Health to see if they have any information on upcoming boosters.

OSDH said there is no official guidance from the FDA or CDC so right now they don't have anything they can share yet.