VACCINATIONS

All county residents 5 and over are now eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

A booster dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is recommended six months after the second dose for those who are 65 or older.

The CDC also recommends the booster for adults who are working or living in high-risk settings, such as skilled nursing residents, health care staff, first-responders, grocery staff, manufacturing workers, corrections, school staff and agriculture workers.

And booster shots are recommended for adults who are at increased risk due to social inequity or who have underlying medical conditions including pregnancy, diabetes, heart conditions, obesity, mental health, smoking and substance use disorders. Current guidance also recommends a booster dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine two months after the initial dose for those 18 or older.

According to the county’s public health website, vaccinations are available in Tehachapi at Rite Aid, OmniHealth, Centric Health, Adventist Health Tehachapi Valley and Kaiser-Permanente. Online registration is offered at https://myturn.ca.gov/

Also, the health department operates a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Kern County Fairgrounds, Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit kernpublichealth.com.