KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As pharmacies in the Kansas City metro begin to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, eligible recipients are eager to get the shot.
Hy-Vee pharmacies started giving out free booster doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Friday at all locations.
Don Boettcher went to Hy-Vee to get his flu shot and COVID-19 booster shot at the same time.
"I'm a 74-year-old United States Army veteran, so I'm used to getting shots," Boettcher said.
Boettcher is one of millions of Americans now eligible for a third dose of Pfizer's vaccine. He said it's simply the right thing to do.
"I'm in relatively good health, but I still want to take advantage of everything I can to be safe," Boettcher said.
The new booster, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is recommended at least six months after a person's second dose.
It's currently recommended for long-term care facility residents, people aged 65 and over, people aged 18 and over with underlying medical conditions, and people 18 to 64 at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure because of their work setting.
The shot is a no-brainer for Kansas City, Missouri, resident Lynn Berling-Manuel.
"It's not just for yourself, it's protecting the people around you, it's being a responsible citizen and a responsible American," Berling-Manuel said.
Berling-Manuel didn't receive a booster Friday but said she and her husband will get it early next week.
"This is the most frightening health crisis that's hit our world," Berling-Manuel said. "I won't say it's the solution, I think it's part of the solution, along with a whole lot of common sense, but everything I have seen related to the vaccine and those sources that I trust have said this is the best thing you can do for yourself and for the people around you, and that's important for us."
Currently, Hy-Vee pharmacies are only administering booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
The pharmacy does accept walk-ins but prefers people schedule an appointment online.
