McLeod Regional Medical Center administering nearly 30 COVID-19 booster shots a day, official says

FLORENCE, S.C. (WMBF) - McLeod Regional Medical Center is administering the COVID-19 booster shot to 30 people a day on average.

This comes a week after the shot was approved for immunocompromised patients.

“The reason we’re being allowed to give a third shot to these folks is because they may not have built immunity due to their immunocompromised conditions, and they need the booster to kick that extra drive in that they may not have gotten, that the rest of us have,” said Jenny Hardee, McLeod Vice President of Occupational Health.

While it’s not available to everyone yet, Hardee said they could soon be made available to people who were vaccinated last January.

The booster shot is no different from the first or second vaccine dose.

Hardee said it’s meant to add an extra layer of protection as healthcare leaders continue to learn more about COVID-19.

“Based on the studies they see a waning in that protection and then you bring in the Delta variant, so I think that’s the same, so we need this booster to build up our immunity and give us more protection,” she said.

Hardee said as of right now people are expected to get a booster roughly eight months after they receive their second vaccine dose.

She believes the booster could become a yearly vaccine.

“The current type of flu vaccine we give is called a quadrivalent which is four types of flu vaccine,” Hardee said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t come up with something where we can get the flu and COVID in the same vaccine.”

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