OK health officials urge thousands to catch up on second COVID shot

More than 134,000 people who received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as two shots in Oklahoma are late for their second dose, an Oklahoma Department of Health spokesperson said on Friday.

This represents about 9.5% of the 1,421,090 people who received a first dose of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine from Oklahoma allowances, according to the Department of Health. The number has increased since the end of April, when over 110,000 people were late for a second dose.

And as the Delta variant takes hold, these Oklahomans could be vulnerable to the new, highly transmissible strain that is spreading through the state.

“We still have large populations of people in Oklahoma who weren’t vaccinated or only received a single dose of vaccine,” said Dr. Dale Bratzler, head of coronavirus at the University of Oklahoma. “I think it’s possible that we see these local epidemics that can happen,” like the ones that tax Missouri hospitals.

After:Amid spike in cases, Oklahoma sees high hospital admission rate for COVID-19 patients

What protection with a single dose?

Studies suggest that one dose is unlikely to offer strong protection against the delta variant, which is quickly becoming the predominant strain in the United States

A study by Public Health England found that Pfizer vaccine was 88% effective against symptomatic delta variant disease after the second dose.

But three weeks after a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine, it was only 33% effective against the delta variant. This means that a person who has only received a single dose of Pfizer vaccine is significantly more vulnerable to the new delta strain, compared to those who have received a second dose.

Modern, which is also a two-dose vaccine, and Johnson & Johnson, which only requires one injection, also said their vaccines offered protection against the delta variant.

What to do if you miss the second dose

Health officials have urged anyone who missed or delayed getting the second dose of a vaccine to get it now – even if that’s longer than the three or four weeks (according to the manufacturer) recommended between doses.

“Even if it’s been a few months since you got the first dose, go ahead and find the second dose,” said Bratzler, of the OU. “There is no upper time limit between dose one and dose two, and we strongly recommend that if you have received a dose get the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer.”