Where should North Texans get their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine?

As more northern Texans are arriving to receive their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, different messages from providers have sparked confusion about how to obtain follow-up vaccines.

Many places are still improving their vaccination systems and state health officials said they are working on plans to improve dose-distribution processes.

For now, here’s what you need to know about getting a second chance.

When are second doses necessary?

People who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine must receive the second injection 21 days after the first. The modern follow-up vaccine should be administered 28 days after the initial dose.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is a window of four days when the second dose is considered valid, if someone gets the vaccine ahead of time. The second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech is still valid on the 17th, and the second dose of Moderna vaccine is still valid on the 24th.

The second doses must be from the same manufacturer as the first.

What if someone fails to take a second dose in time?

Patients should receive their second doses as close to the recommended time as possible. If this is not possible, people can receive the second dose within six weeks after the first, according to the CDC.

The CDC said there is limited data on vaccine effectiveness beyond the six-week interval, but that the series of both vaccines does not need to be restarted if patients receive the second dose more than six weeks after the first.

Do people need to go to the same providers for both injections?

State health officials recommend that people return to the same providers who administered their first doses.

Providers generally receive second doses of the vaccine based on the number of first doses they received, said Douglas Loveday, a spokesman for the State Department of Health Services.

Booster doses are allocated to providers during the weeks when patients should receive their second injection, he said. A provider who received 500 doses of Moderna in the week of December 28 will receive 500 second doses for the week of January 25.

Providers can decrease or reduce the number of doses they should receive if they do not use all the first dose allocations, he said.

Eventually, providers will be able to request booster doses instead of allocating them, but that process is “a little further ahead,” said Loveday.

If patients cannot get an appointment with their original providers, they can try to register with a vaccine center if the center accepts people who have not received their first vaccines there, or try to contact providers on the state’s availability map.

At the moment, however, the state map shows only the first available doses. Loveday said he did not know when or if the state planned to show the availability of the second dose on the map.

See how different providers said they are scheduling second doses:

Dallas County Human and Health Services

The state has designated Dallas County Health and Human Services as a vaccine center.

At the Fair Park vaccination site, people receive cards with the date of the first doses and the day they must return for the second application.

Unless patients receive instructions to the contrary, they must return to the second dose on the date listed on the cards.

Patients do not need to return at a specific time, but should try to return at the same time as their first appointments, said Dr. Philip Huang, director of the county’s health department.

Patients must also bring their cards at the first appointments.

The process is only for people who had their first chance at Fair Park. It is possible that the county will reject people if they do not fire the first shots there, Huang said.

“You need to go back to where you received your first dose because they are going to receive the second,” he said. “We are not going to receive extra doses for people who have received it elsewhere.”

Parkland Hospital

Parkland Hospital has also been designated as a center and is vaccinating people who register in Dallas County.

When people receive their first doses, second appointments will be scheduled for them, said Mike Malaise, senior vice president for communications and external relations at the hospital.

The hospital is giving second doses only to people who received their first doses there, he said.

UT Southwestern

UT Southwestern is also a vaccine center and is dealing with people who register in Dallas County.

When patients are contacted for a first dose, they will be instructed to create an online account with the hospital. Patients will be contacted via the online portal when the second dose is due, the hospital says.

Tarrant County Public Health

People who register with Tarrant County Public Health, which is designated as a vaccine center, will receive information about the timing of their second doses during their first consultations.

Patients will be contacted about their second doses a few days before the appointment. People who are unable to attend the second appointment can call the county coronavirus hotline at 817-248-6299 for other options.

Collin County Health Services

Collin County Health Care Services, another center, has partnered with Curative Medical Associates to operate its vaccine operations, said Tim Wyatt, a county spokesman.

When people get their first vaccinations in the center of the county, a follow-up appointment for the second doses will be scheduled for them, he said.

Denton County Public Health

People who are vaccinated through the Denton County Department of Public Health, which is also a center, will be contacted to schedule their second dose, said Dr. Matt Richardson, director of the county health department.

The county is administering second doses only to people who received the first doses.

“What we’re being told is that these original allocations are getting exactly the same volume of second doses,” said Richardson.

Walgreens

Walgreens pharmacists recommend that patients make the second appointment at the time of the first.

Pharmacists will also contact patients via email, phone calls and text messages to remind them of their second appointments, said Fraser Engerman, senior director of external relations at Walgreens.

Walgreens also plans to launch an updated programmer on its website, which will allow patients to book the first and second doses at the same time.

“Walgreens has extensive experience in administering serial vaccines and will use the lessons and tools from our current immunization processes to apply to COVID-19 vaccinations,” said Engerman.

Kroger

Kroger employees “expect our pharmacies to receive second dose allocations,” said April Martin, corporate affairs manager for Kroger’s Dallas division.

Pharmacies will contact patients to schedule their second appointments as soon as they receive confirmation that their second doses have been sent, she said.

“We are committed to ensuring that those who received the first dose of Kroger Health have access to the second dose of Kroger Health,” said Martin.

Tom Thumb / Albertsons

Tom Thumb and Albertsons did not respond to requests for comment on the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

KXAS-TV (NBC5) reported that people can use the online pharmacy programmer to make appointments for the second dose in the same places where they received the first doses. Patients will be notified after the first consultations to confirm that they have received the first dose. After patients respond, they will be able to schedule their second doses.