COVID-19 vaccine first, second and Pfizer booster shot availability for employees

Beginning on Monday, Oct. 4, Occupational Health Services will move ALL COVID-19 vaccinations for Michigan Medicine exclusively to Ford Auditorium, including employees who need any shot — first, second, third or booster. OHS will only be administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and employees must schedule an appointment through the OHS website.  

Please note, additional appointment slots have been added for select days next week, and clinic dates are now available to schedule through the remainder of October. Additional opportunities will become available based on staffing and vaccine supply. 

Here are some other options for employees who want the booster vaccine:

• Expanded clinics in the days and weeks ahead. See our Finding Vaccines page for tips on how to find a vaccine appointment in your area.

• Michigan Medicine will also open appointments to patients for vaccine booster appointments on Tuesday, Oct. 5, with clinics administering boosters on Tuesday, Oct. 6. You will need an MRN and MyUofMHealth patient portal account to schedule appointments.

Who should get a third dose or booster vaccine?

Recently, the CDC announced recommendations for a third dose or booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after completion of their primary two dose series. It is important to note that third dose and/or booster shots are not currently required under the Michigan Medicine COVID-19 vaccination policy. 

The following are guidelines for third and booster shots as provided by the CDC:  

• Employees 65 years and older should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.
• Employees aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.
• Employees aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
• Employees aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.
• Employees who self-identify as immunocompromised should receive a 3^rd dose vaccination of Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine at least 28 days after completing their mRNA primary series.

Employees who received their vaccines from OHS clinic will have the information documented in HealthRX. If an employee gets the booster or third dose from an outside pharmacy or doctor’s office, the documentation can be submitted directly to OHS (OHS-covidvaccine@med.umich.edu) for documentation in Health RX. 

What’s the difference between the third dose and the booster vaccine?

• The third dose is part of the initial series of the vaccination for people who are immunocompromised and therefore, may not have sufficient protection with the first two doses. The third dose is given at least 28 days after the second dose.
• The booster vaccine is given to provide continued immunity as protection from the initial vaccination series may decrease after the first six months.  The booster dose is given at least six months from the date of second dose.
• Third doses are available for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. As of now, booster doses are only available for the Pfizer vaccine who meet the at least one of eligibility criteria listed above.

This is an ongoing situation and more information will be made available in the coming days. If you have questions about vaccine availability or appointments, please view the COVID-19 information page on the OHS website.