Why boost?

According to the CDC, data from clinical trials showed that a booster shot increased the immune response in trial participants who finished a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series 6 months earlier or who received a J&J/Janssen single-dose vaccine 2 months earlier. With an increased immune response, people should have improved protection against getting infected with COVID-19. For Pfizer-BioNTech and J&J/Janssen, clinical trials also showed that a booster shot helped prevent severe disease.

In layman’s terms, a booster adds increased protection from severe disease.

Boosters are now available at NCH for anyone age 12+ who has completed their second dose of Pfizer more than 5 months ago; or for those age 18+ who have completed their second dose of Moderna more than 6 months ago.

NCH is providing booster doses at our COVID-19 VACCINE CLINIC located at 3060 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Heights. Presently, appointments are available only on Tuesdays for Pfizer and Wednesdays for Moderna, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There are three ways to schedule your booster.

• If you have a MyChart account, login at nch.org/mychart and select a date, time and location to schedule your booster dose.
• Make an appointment directly on our website here.
• Call 847-618-0242 to schedule an appointment at the NCH COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic. If you have received your first two doses elsewhere and want your booster through NCH, please call the number to schedule an appointment.

If you’ve already been vaccinated, whether at NCH or another healthcare provider, we thank you!

We are continuing our series with members of the NCH Community who want others to know their reason for getting their COVID-19 vaccine booster.

Name: Brian Stennett, MPH, Paramedic, DICO-C
Title: Emergency Preparedness Manager
Department: Safety and Security
Current hometown: Palatine
Why I got boosted: I am an epidemiologist by education and following the best science available for public health is important to me. The best thing I could do to protect myself, my family and my coworkers from severe COVID illness, was to get vaccinated and to get boosted as soon as it was available to me. Should another booster be recommended, I will sign up for that too.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccinations at NCH, visit this page.