By Shanna Cummings
If it’s been six months or more since your second vaccine dose, you can start the new year with an extra layer of protection against Covid-19 by getting a booster shot.
The Culberson County Rural Clinic is offering Moderna Covid booster shots for everyone age 18 and older. The boosters are available by appointment on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To make an appointment, call the Rural Clinic at (432) 283-1020.
The Department of Health and Human Services office offers all three brands of booster on Wednesdays. Call (432) 283-3090 for more information.
Hospitals, walk-in clinics and large drug stores like CVS and Walgreens in El Paso also offer Covid boosters. For vaccine clinic information in El Paso County, see www.elpasocountyhealth.org/how-can-i-get-a-vaccine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, everyone age 16 and older should receive a booster shot six months or more after their last vaccine dose. Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster after two months past vaccination. The booster does not need to be from the same company as your initial vaccination. For example, if you received a Moderna vaccine originally, you can receive a booster from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson or Moderna and still receive the same protection.
Vaccines have shown to either protect a person from contracting Covid or greatly reduce the risk of serious illness or death from Covid. Booster shots are an important defense against rapidly-spreading variants like Delta and Omicron.
At-home Covid tests are available at the Culberson County Hospital pharmacy. A kit includes two tests and costs $40.00. Results take 30 minutes. Tests are also available in El Paso, but are in high demand, so finding one may take trips to several stores.
At-home Covid tests are most accurate for people who have developed symptoms, but not for those who have no symptoms when they take the test. And considering how quickly variants like Delta and Omicron spread, test results can change from one day to the next.
There are currently no testing centers planned for Culberson County, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Cody Davis.
El Paso has free testing centers that test for both Covid and influenza. The nearest one for Van Horn is at El Paso County Sportpark, 1795 N Zaragoza Rd. The center is open Monday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Results are mailed to the person tested.
Wearing masks and hand washing are still recommended for all, vaccinated or not, in public places where social distancing is impossible or difficult, especially during this heavy travel season.
