Sanford Bemidji and Beltrami County Public Health offer booster COVID-19 vaccinations

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Following approval from the FDA and CDC, Sanford Health and Beltrami County Public Health are both offering booster doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen (J&J) vaccines. The CDC and FDA have also approved the mixing and matching of different brands of booster doses regardless of the initial brand of vaccine a person has received.

Dr. David Wilcox, chief medical officer and family medicine physician at Sanford Health in Bemidji, states, "It is clear that severe COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting those who are unvaccinated. Since the pandemic started 90% of all hospitalized patients at Sanford Health have been unvaccinated. For the critically ill patients requiring ICU and ventilator care, the numbers are even higher at 96% and 98% respectively. If you have not been vaccinated, there is no better time to start than now. For those who have been vaccinated, we are happy to announce the availability of all recommended booster vaccines."

Who is eligible for a booster?

Moderna and Pfizer vaccine recipients

• People 65+, those 18+ with underlying health conditions or people with jobs that put them at a higher risk are eligible to receive a booster at least six months after their second dose.

• Any manufacturer can be used for a booster.

Janssen (J&J) vaccine recipients

• People 18+ can receive a booster at least two months after their initial dose.

• Any manufacturer can be used as a booster.

Scheduling a booster vaccine

Sanford Health offers the Pfizer, Moderna and limited Janssen (J&J) vaccines at multiple Sanford Health locations in Beltrami county and surrounding counties. Patients must make an appointment for any COVID-19 vaccinations (boosters included) by:

• Going to My Sanford Chart OR

• Calling (877) 701-0779 and selecting option #1

Patients may also be offered the flu and COVID-19 vaccines during regular office visits at select clinics. To see if a particular vaccine is available during their regular office visit, patients can ask their clinic or provider when scheduling their appointment. Patients are able to schedule an appointment with their provider for a regular visit 24/7 by going to My Sanford Chart or by calling the clinic during the clinic's operating hours.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to get one with Sanford Health, visit https://www.sanfordhealth.org/conditions-diseases/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/vaccine.

Beltrami County Public Health offers the Moderna, Janssen (J&J) and limited Pfizer vaccines. Community members may schedule a vaccine appointment with Public Health by calling (218) 333-8140.

About Sanford Health

Sanford Health, one of the largest health systems in the United States, is dedicated to the integrated delivery of health care, genomic medicine, senior care and services, global clinics, research and affordable insurance. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization includes 46 hospitals, 1,500 physicians and more than 200 Good Samaritan Society senior care locations in 26 states and 10 countries. Learn more about Sanford Health's transformative work to improve the human condition at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.