Nurse Gail Lautenschuetz draws a dose of coronavirus vaccine Feb. 25 at the North Country Community College gym in Saranac Lake. (Enterprise photo — Elizabeth Izzo)

A COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Malone today still had 200 slots available as of Thursday afternoon.

The clinic, hosted by Franklin County Public Health, is open to everyone over the age of 17. The Moderna vaccine is being administered at the clinic, and it’s not approved for 16 and 17-year-olds yet.

The clinic is happening at the Holy Family School in Malone, 12 Homestead Park, from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Appointments are still required. To make an appointment, visit tinyurl.com/e262r2s7 or call the county’s COVID-19 call center at 518-481-1111. Anyone who needs help with transportation to the clinic can call Community Connections at 518-521-3507; the Tri-Lakes Center for Independent Living at 518-891-5295; or the Office for the Aging at 518-481-1526.

All public and private employees are allowed to take up to four hours off work to get vaccinated. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation in March that grants this leave, which won’t be charged against any other leave employees have earned or accrued.

As of Thursday, 39.5% of Franklin County’s population, or 19,889 people, have received at least one vaccine dose. That’s up from 39% on Monday. The number of people who have been fully vaccinated is much less at 31.5%, or 15,832 people, up from 14,959 on Monday. In Essex County, 46.3% of the population, or 17,276 people, had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s up from 45.4% of the population, or 16,937 people, on Monday. At least 36% of the population, or 13,445 people, have been fully vaccinated, up from 12,854 people on Monday.

Statewide, 39.6% of the population, or more than 7.9 million people, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; 5.2 million people, or 26.4% of the population, have been fully vaccinated.

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HHHN halts use of J&J vaccine

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The Hudson Headwaters Health Network announced on Tuesday that its health centers would pause use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at its health centers and instead increase its supply of the Moderna vaccine.

“People who have received the J&J vaccine should be very mindful of how they are feeling,” said HHHN Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bill Borgos. “Those who develop a severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”

This move came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that the U.S. would pause use of the J&J vaccine to review data involving six women, aged 18 to 48, who experienced rare and severe blood clots in the brain after getting vaccinated with the J&J vaccine. It’s currently unclear whether the blood clots were connected to the vaccine, the New York Times reported Thursday. More than 7 million Americans have received the J&J vaccine. Despite the pause, public health experts continue to urge people to be vaccinated because they believe the benefits still outweigh any risks.

The HHHN has administered more than 25,000 vaccine doses so far, but only 449 of those have been J&J because doses of that vaccine had only been delivered to HHHN late last week, according to the health network.

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Booster shot?

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The duration of immunity from COVID-19 after a person is vaccinated is still being studied, but Reuters reported on Thursday that it’s possible a booster shot may be needed between nine to 12 months after a person is vaccinated to extend immunity, and that federal officials are currently preparing for that possibility.

White House advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview with MSNBC on Monday that recent data suggests the vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna provide protection for at least six months.

Pfizer’s CEO, Albert Bourla, told CNBC in April that people would “likely” need a booster shot within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated, and then annually after that.

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Curfew extension

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New York bars and restaurants will soon have an extra hour to serve patrons. Starting Monday, the curfew for those businesses to close will extend to midnight, and the curfew for catered events will be extended to 1 a.m., Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

The requirement that people purchase food at bars was still in place as of Thursday.