New Vaccines Enter Stage As Covid-19 Cases Rise

Three years after the original Covid-19 vaccine was released, the newest booster received the green light.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved two new Pfizer and Moderna vaccines this week..

“The CDC gave a blanket recommendation for everybody over 6 months to get boosted,” said Greg Clyde.

Clyde owns a pharmacy in Oklahoma City.

He says he’s seen a steady uptick is Covid cases.

“We've seen it mutate where it's not as severe as 2020 but it can still cause hospitalizations,” said Clyde.

He says appointments are already filling up before the vaccine has even hit the shelves here in the state.

“Demand across the board- all pharmacies will be very busy giving flu shots given Covid shots, there's a new RSV shot for people over the age of 60, so with all 3 of those being available, expect a delay when you go to the pharmacy,” said Clyde.

While the new variant is causing some states to reinstate mask mandates - Governor Kevin Stitt took to social media to assure Oklahomans, the state didn’t shut down in 2020 - and it won’t now.

“Let me make one thing clear - Oklahoma will not shut down. Period,” Stitt said.

While Stitt says it won’t be mandated- Clyde says it’s not a bad idea to take extra precautions.

“It's not a bad idea to mask up as the weather cools off,” said Clyde.

While the coronavirus likely won’t cause mass shutdowns - boosters - are likely becoming an annual shot.

“Covid will be with us for a long time. I encourage everybody to keep updated on their vaccinations and that will help us keep the viral load down,” said Clyde.

The State Department of Health said they expect to have the vaccines available to pharmacies across the state by the end of September or early October.

For more information from OSDH, including booster shot and flu shot information, CLICK HERE: https://oklahoma.gov/ohca/about/covid19/coronavirus.html