COVID-19 Booster Shots: Where To Find Them In The Birmingham Area

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Booster shots, available at pharmacies and clinics in the Birmingham metro, are the best defense against COVID-19 illnesses as the omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads across the country, according to health officials.

Breakthrough COVID-19 cases from the omicron variant — infections among the vaccinated — are less common among people who have received their third vaccination shots, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The omicron variant, first reported in South Africa on Nov. 24, was first reported in Alabama Thursday, and has become the dominant strain of the virus in the southern U.S.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the omicron variant is likely to become the dominant coronavirus strain in the coming weeks. It currently represents 3 percent of new infections.

Public health officials are concerned that vaccination rates — currently 61 percent of eligible Americans are fully vaccinated, and only 28 percent have gotten booster shots — are insufficient to fend off a fifth wave of the coronavirus. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are increasing, with about 120,000 new cases and 1,200 deaths reported each day, mainly from the delta variant.

To get a booster shot in the Birmingham metro, go to:

• Publix Supermarkets
• Harbin Discount Pharmacies
• Walmart
• Sam's Club
• Liberty Pharmacy
• Costco
• UAB Hospital
• Jefferson County Department of Health
• Walgreens Pharmacies
• CVS Pharmacies
• Birmingham Apothecary
• Crestline Pharmacy
• Ritch's Pharmacy

Find more locations on the Alabama Department of Public Health Vaccine Provider Map.

The CDC says Pfizer and Moderna booster shots both provide increased protection against COVID-19 and helped prevent severe symptoms in breakthrough cases.