The Bay Area COVID vaccine booster rollout may be more of a trickle than a flood.
Health experts said there are plenty of vaccine boosters available, but so far it appears the sense of urgency we saw with the initial vaccine is not quite there.
"By far the elephant in the room is the people not getting the first shot in the first place," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, UCSF infectious disease expert.
With about 80% of San Franciscans fully vaccinated, neighbors are ready to do their part again, getting the booster shot when it is their turn.
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Just last week, CDC formally recommended that COVID vaccine boosters should now be offered to people 65 and older, nursing home residents, and those 18 or older who have high-risk underlying health problems.
One more key note - this booster only applies to people who initially got the Pfizer vaccine.
"It's kind of a shame that people are afraid of the vaccination," said Bill Holt, who received a COVID booster shot.
Jay Gifford, another resident who got the booster, said it's concerning to see breakthrough coronavirus cases in fully vaccinated people.
The CDC recommended booster differs a bit from the boosters offered in San Francisco starting last month.
San Francisco is still offering boosters to those who are immunocompromised no matter what type of vaccine you had for your first doses -- Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.
The new CDC booster recommendation also includes pregnant women and a more expansive list of who qualifies.
"I would say to all pregnant persons it's really important to get vaccinated," Chin-Hong said. "I know pregnant women who are my patients who have COVID who were hesitant to get the first shot."
Anyone eligible to receive a COVID booster shot can book appointments at local pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens. Other official city websites are expected to help coordinate booking appointments for COVID boosters in the weeks ahead.
