SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KRON) – The San Francisco Department of Public Health has been quietly giving what they are calling supplemental shots of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for those who already got the one-shot Johnson and Johnson dose.
The city’s public health officials say they are not recommending everyone who got the J&J to get this extra shot but are accommodating those who are asking for it.
According to the city’s public health department, it’s been going on for some time.
Supplemental vaccine shots of either Pfizer or Moderna going into the arms of people who already had the one-and-done J&J dose across neighborhood vaccine clinics and at San Francisco General Hospital.
The city’s public health director Dr. Grant Colfax says they still believe in the J&J.
It was on the menu Tuesday at their new vaccine to you mobile vaccine clinic that will show up to homes or job sites to vaccinate groups from five to 12 people in an effort to protect citizens from the growing threat of the delta variant.
“It’s a good vaccine, we will continue to administer it,” Dr. Grant Colfax said.
While SFDPH and the CDC are not recommending those who have had the J&J shot to go out and get an extra dose of one of the other vaccines available, they have accommodated case-by-case requests based on doctor’s recommendations.
“Right now, we don’t have conclusive data on additional shots beyond what CDC is recommending, but again in consultation with infectious disease experts we do believe this is safe and we will accommodate people if they so request,” Dr. Colfax said.
Mayor London Breed said she’s not planning to get the supplemental dose.
“It’s currently not recommended by our medical health experts, I’m following their advice so I’m gonna do it if I need to do it but if I don’t need to do it I’m not gonna do it,” Mayor Breed said.
San Francisco resident and J&J recipient Corey Warren says he was turned away two weeks ago at a clinic because of his concerns about the efficacy of his dose against the delta variant and jumped at the chance when he was called back to get an extra shot last week.
“Definitely feel more secure, having the Pfizer booster on top of the Johnson and Johnson makes me think I’ve got a better defense against not only the delta variant but any other variant that might come along in the upcoming months,” Warren said.
Dr. Grant Colfax says breakthrough cases are still relatively rare compared to cases among the unvaccinated and all of the vaccines currently available are incredibly effective at reducing the risk of hospitalization.