Pima County Health Department

Pima County vaccination sites have started offering a second COVID-19 booster shot for immunocompromised individuals and people 50 and older who received an initial booster dose at least four months ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its booster recommendations on March 29, 2022, to include those groups.

Pima County has investigated four cases of potential rabies exposures in wildlife in March and advises the public to stay away when seeing animals acting oddly or lying on the ground.

Two of those cases were in bats. Another case was a high-risk cat, and the other involved a javelina. All were negative for rabies.

 To better accommodate visitors and vendors at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Pima County is changing the location and hours of operation of its vaccine clinic at the Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave.

Effective Feb. 1-13, vaccines will be offered in the Coconino Conference Room (entrance is on north side of ticket office) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

This is a walk-up clinic with no registration necessary. Free parking will be available in Lot A as space permits.

The Pima County Health Department and Paradigm Laboratories will begin free COVID-19 PCR testing Tuesday, Jan. 25, at the Kino Event Center, 2805 E. Ajo Way. The site will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

PCR tests are performed in the laboratory and identify fragments of  COVID-19. These tests are highly sensitive but do require laboratory processing. Patients typically receive results in 24 to 48 hours.

At the request of the Pima County Health Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 9 will fund a drive-through COVID-19 testing site at the Pima Community College West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road, starting Monday, Jan. 24. Site hours are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Pima County vaccination sites started offering Pfizer booster shots for 12- to 15-year-olds on Jan. 6, following federal approval a day earlier.

Anyone in that age group is eligible providing it has been at least five months from their second dose.

Previously, only those 16 and over were eligible to receive booster doses. Only the Pfizer vaccine and booster is available for 12- to 17-year-olds. The Pfizer vaccine is authorized for children as young as 5 years old.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available to those 18 and over.