Third dose scheduling now available for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine

Following Wednesday’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) formally recommended a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals who are at least six months past their second Pfizer dose and who meet the following additional criteria: 65 and older; long-term care facility residents; and ages 50 to 64 with certain medical conditions that heighten the risk for severe COVID-19. The CDC also recommends that people ages 18 to 49 with those same underlying medical conditions consider getting the booster after weighing their individualized risk. The same guidance applies to 18- to 64-year-olds who work in environments such as health care settings with increased exposure risks. Third doses were previously approved for those moderately to severely immunocompromised.

Given that UT Southwestern is an academic medical center that cares for a vulnerable patient population, our employees, learners, and trainees who completed their two-dose vaccination series with Pfizer are eligible for an extra dose. We will share guidance on boosters for those who received Moderna or J&J COVID-19 vaccines as soon as the CDC and FDA review emerging data and provide further details, which we anticipate are forthcoming. 

For now, members of our campus community previously vaccinated with Pfizer qualify for a third dose and may make an appointment easily in MyChart. Click the ‘COVID-19/Flu Scheduling’ icon at the top of your screen to get started. You may also reference this tip sheet for instructions. 

We are scaling up our operations and administering third doses of Pfizer by appointment only, beginning today at 1 p.m. We will continue to offer you boosters as long as there is demand. As we get started, appointments will be available every day thereafter from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Education and Conference Center on the second floor of William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital (CUH). If you do not typically park at CUH, you may use Garage B. While we encourage those of you who qualify and are interested in receiving your third dose to do so now – to help position us to then focus our efforts on our patients and community – we will continue to offer you boosters as long as there is demand.

If you were previously vaccinated with Pfizer at our partners Parkland Memorial Hospital or Children’s Health, you may receive your third dose there or through UT Southwestern. 

Additionally, for the next week, we are temporarily pausing flu vaccinations at CUH and shifting that staffing to COVID-19 third doses. Flu vaccines will still be provided, by appointment, at the Paul M. Bass Administrative and Clinical Center drive-thru. Slots will be available based on supply. If you were previously scheduled to receive your flu vaccination at CUH next week, your appointment will still be honored.  

We recognize that many of you, as well as your family and friends, have questions about third doses. We are continuously updating our FAQ online and encourage you to visit our webpage for the new updates.

We are also preparing outreach with our patients and members of our community vaccinated by UT Southwestern, and will message those who are eligible for a third dose in MyChart in the coming days. Given that the COVID-19 vaccine is readily available throughout North Texas, there are fortunately many options for where our community can turn. We will continue to share updated communications as we learn more. 

Thank you for your continued vigilance throughout the pandemic, and for all you do to protect the health and safety of our patients, our community, and our workforce.

UT Southwestern Health System Leadership