What to know about COVID-19 booster shots, including how to get them from Duke

In light of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approval of COVID-19 booster injections, reminders are now available on the Duke campus for all students who received their last dose of the vaccine at least six months ago. Although they are not mandated by the University, they are strongly recommended.

Cameron Wolfe, associate professor of medicine and co-lead of the COVID-19 vaccination planning working group at Duke, wrote in an email that the recall is “clearly the MOST important for those vaccinated further, because the antibodies decrease ”.

“The risk of COVID is proportional to how often you are exposed, so dorm life, or healthcare workers for example, have always been priority targets for reinforcement,” Wolfe wrote.

Liza Goldstone, a first year who chose to receive the booster over the Thanksgiving holiday, kept this in mind.

“Living in a collective collegial setting, I decided that the recall would be a wise choice,” she said.

Data from clinical trials have indicated that a booster given six months after the first series of vaccines increases the immune response in human patients. As such, experts are acting with increasing urgency to disseminate information and access the recall, as Wolfe put it, “to raise the shields as high as possible.”

At least 2,000 students have already received a reminder. Appointment can be done using the Duke Student Planning Site, with vaccine locations at Blue Devil Tower, Duke University Hospital, and Duke Clinic 1J (for walk-in visits only). The booster shots are free and readily available.

“Getting on a date couldn’t be easier,” said sophomore Aaron Price, who recently received his callback. Price received the third dose at the walk-in clinic, which is open Monday through Friday. “It took the whole, maybe 25 minutes, the whole process. They couldn’t have been nicer.