If there was any doubt about demand for booster shots, consider this – Concord’s Booster Blitz site filled all 1,010 of its appointments the first day they were available.
While walk ins were accepted Saturday afternoon, for those that missed out, the city is holding its own booster clinic on Sunday at the Community Center on the Heights.
Saturday’s Booster Blitz, organized by the state, made 14,000 doses available to the public by appointment at 14 sites around New Hampshire.
“The booster dose particularly continues to be important, especially as we see the Omicron variant emerge across the country and in New Hampshire,” said Gov. Chris Sununu at a recent press conference.
Laura Montenegro, a spokesperson for the Department of Health said slots available at the Concord site were filled during the first day. She said each site’s capacity is dictated by the size of the location and the amount of workers assigned to each site.
“As the demand continues for booster doses, the state has come together once again for a second Booster Blitz,” said Department of Health commissioner Lori Shibinette in a statement.
The event was funded in large part by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and utilized staffing partnerships with the state, municipalities, and the Regional Public Health Networks. By Saturday afternoon, many of the sites were accepting walk-ins.
The vaccine clinic at the City Wide Community Center, 14 Canterbury Road, Concord, will be held on Sunday from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The clinic is open to walk-in appointments and can administer first, second and booster doses.
In addition to the Booster Blitz, several other vaccination clinics also are being held across the state, including a state fixed site in Laconia that is accepting walk-ins, the Upper Connecticut Valley Hospital in Colebrook, and the state mobile vaccination clinics.
New infections of COVID-19 are reaching all-time highs. On Jan. 1, the state reported more than 1,300 cases, about 40% more cases than the peak of last winter’s surge.
Omicron, a highly contagious COVID-19 variant, is still relatively uncommon in New Hampshire — the state most recently reported 42 cases of the variant. It is likely only a matter of time before the variant overtakes Delta, Gov. Chris Sununu said. Booster shots offer significant protection against Omicron, recent studies have suggested.
A recent Granite State News Poll found that nearly all New Hampshire residents that have been vaccinated plan to get or already have the booster.