The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a second COVID-19 booster shot for individuals 50 and over as well as immunocompromised individuals, for either the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, Tuesday, March 29. 

The second booster is available to populations at high risk for severe disease, hospitalization, or death, according to the FDA’s press release. 

A second booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech or the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is available to those 50 years of age or older at least four months after receiving their first booster. 

A second booster of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is available to those 18 years of age or older with certain kinds of immunocompromise at least four months after receiving their first booster. 

A second booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is available to those 12 years of age or older with certain kinds of immunocompromise at least four months after receiving their first booster. 

“The FDA has determined that the known and potential benefits of a second COVID-19 vaccine booster dose with either of these vaccines outweigh their known and potential risks in these populations,” the press release reads. 

President Joe Biden received his second COVID-19 booster of Pfizer-BioNTech on live television, Wednesday, March 30, while pleading for Congress to provide more funding to halt the pandemic. 

McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital’s teams are currently meeting to discuss how the hospital could set up a second booster shot clinic, said hospital CEO Mike Everett. They are working out the type of vaccine, the location, and number of doses to receive. 

“There are no firm plans yet, but we are working to logistically make sure we can open a clinic, and we are looking to open one in Oxford soon,” Everett said. 

COVID-19 declines in Butler County 

Butler County General Health District reported 49 cases of COVID-19 between March 6 and March 19, according to its weekly update released March 28. Butler County’s COVID-19 numbers are classified as ‘moderate’ spread with a ‘low’ positivity rate by the CDC. 

Butler County has a positivity rate of 1.67% down from 3.91% from the previous report. 

The Ohio Department of Health verified 1,127 COVID-19 related deaths throughout the pandemic, 28 more than the previous report.

The Omicron BA.2 subvariant of COVID-19 is now estimated to be the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the U.S., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Tuesday, March 29. 

The BA. 2 was first identified in the U.S. from a sample collected on Dec. 14, 2021 in New Jersey, according to the CDC. 

“So far, it (the new variant) hasn’t been an issue (in Oxford),” Everett said. “Right now, we’ve not seen any cause to be alarmed at.” 

At some point there is a chance and likelihood that the new variant could work its way through Oxford, Everett said. 

Changes caused by the pandemic

“We are cautiously optimistic that the worst is behind us, but we need to remain vigilant,” Everett said. “I don’t think we know if anything is going to be permanent, the one thing we did learn throughout the pandemic is to be flexible.”

McCullough-Hyde has resumed normal visiting policies that were in place before the pandemic. 

“Policy-wise nothing has changed (permanently),” Everett said. “One thing we haven’t dropped that may be there for a long time to come, is we are still requiring masks for all clinical and patient-facing situations.” 

Masks are required when taking care of patients as well as for patients themselves in patient care areas. 

Everett said he hopes the mask requirement changes some day, but said he expects it to remain in place for the near future.