WI Health Officials Approve Second COVID-19 Booster Shot

WISCONSIN — A second COVID-19 booster shot has been approved for Wisconsin's most vulnerable populations. The Department of Health Services on Thursday approved a second booster dose for adults 50 and older and people as young as 12 with compromised immune systems.

The move follows a similar decision by the federal Food and Drug Administration two days prior.

Older adults and people with compromised immune systems, such as chemotherapy patients or those who have had organ transplants, are eligible for the extra shot four months after their first booster dose, both local and federal health services said.

"Expanded eligibility requirements allow more immunocompromised Wisconsin residents the opportunity to get vaccinated and stay protected against COVID-19," health services deputy Deb Standridge said in a statement.

People ages 18-49 years who aren't severely immunocompromised and received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine as their first and booster dose are eligible for another booster as well, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Second booster shots are now available for free and without an appointment at Milwaukee's COVID-19 clinics, Milwaukee Health Department spokesperson Emily Tau said in a statement.

Clinics include:

• Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Rd.
• Southside Health Center, 1639 S. 23rd St.
• Menomonee Valley Site, 2401 W. St. Paul Ave.

Find more information and pre-register to save time here.

Vaccinations are the No. 1 way to fight the spread of COVID-19, according to health experts, and they're administered by local pharmacies and health departments. Check Vaccines.gov for availability in Wisconsin.

Here's The COVID-19 Situation In Wisconsin

The seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases in the Badger State was 360 cases per day, after 470 new cases were confirmed on Wednesday, health services data showed.

BA.2, the subvariant dubbed 'stealth omicron,' still takes up a sizable chunk of COVID-19 cases across the Midwest — 50.4 percent of coronavirus cases in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin were due to BA.2, CDC data showed.

As of Thursday, 180 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized across 138 Wisconsin Hospital Association hospitals statewide.

The second booster shot will offer more protection if a new wave of cases or a new variant arises — like how BA.2 is rising in parts of the U.S. — Dr. Stephanie Findley, who runs the Findley Medical Clinic in Wauwatosa, told Patch.

"We knew when people get the booster, the immunity from the shot goes down after four months," Findley said. Her clinic started giving out second boosters as soon as the FDA gave the OK, since health experts had been anticipating the approval for months.

The new shot is the same dosage and material as the last booster shot, and will offer extra protection for those who need it, Findley said.