NORWICH – UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital will be hosting two upcoming vaccination clinics for eligible individuals looking to receive a booster or third dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The clinics will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both Saturday, November 6 and Saturday, November 13 in UHS Cardiology Norwich, located on the hospital’s first floor.

“Now that the Moderna vaccine has received emergency use authorization for booster shots, we’re encouraging everyone eligible to receive one to schedule an appointment,” said David Finney, Vice President of Clinical Services at the Norwich hospital.

Appointments can be made by calling the UHS Chenango Memorial Vaccine Line at (607) 337-4888 or by contacting their medical provider’s office.

According to Finney, the Moderna booster is not just for individuals who previously received the Moderna vaccine.

“While it’s generally recommended that you receive the same vaccine you were initially administered, individuals do have more flexibility of choice when it comes to receiving a booster,” he explained.

Eligibility criteria for receiving a booster varies based on the original vaccine received.

“If you initially received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, your eligibility to receive a booster is based on the time elapsed since you received your second dose of that vaccine in addition to certain other criteria,” Finney said.

Right now, that’s defined as someone who completed their second dose at least 6 months ago and is either (a) over the age of 65 – or – (b) 18 and older with certain underlying medical conditions, living or working in a long-term or congregate care setting, or who are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 based on their work environment, such as healthcare workers.

Anyone who has received Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Janssen vaccine may receive a booster provided two months have passed since they were administered the vaccine.

According to Finney, UHS Chenango Memorial’s Vaccination Team will be using the Cardiology suite on the hospital’s first floor for the two Moderna booster clinics.

“We used this space for our largest community clinics early in our vaccination efforts, and know we can very comfortably accommodate our schedule in this space,” he said.

Anyone interested in scheduling an appointment to receive the vaccine, can do so by calling the CMH COVID Vaccine Line at (607) 337-4888 or by contacting their UHS medical provider’s office.

For more information on vaccine availability in the Southern Tier, visit SouthernTierVax.org.

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital is a member of United Health Services, a locally owned not-for-profit 916-bed hospital and health care system serving the Greater Binghamton region from more than 40 locations around New York’s Southern Tier.

– From UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital