Editors note: The Jefferson County Health Department has issued the following advisory related to a third COVID-19 shot.
An additional dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine is now recommended for individuals 12 and older with certain medical conditions or who are receiving certain medical treatments that compromise their immune system’s functionality.
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) expert advisory committee, the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) ,voted to recommend an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (specifically, Pfizer and Moderna) for these individuals after the FDA expanded its emergency use authorization for the vaccines to allow for an additional dose for certain immunocompromised people at least 28 days after finishing the initial two-dose series.
The Jefferson County Health Department states that at this time, additional doses are not yet recommended for non-immunocompromised people, or for those who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, though this might change in the future as additional data regarding vaccine efficacy is continuously analyzed. Individuals with weakened immune systems may not develop adequate immunity following vaccination.
These individuals also are more likely to develop serious illness with COVID-19 and might spread the virus to others in their home.
Adding an additional dose to the series for immunocompromised people could help better protect those most vulnerable to COVID-19.
This additional dose is not a booster. Rather, it is an additional dose of vaccine administered when the immune response following a primary vaccine series is likely to be insufficient.
An additional mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose is recommended for moderately to severely immunocompromised people after an initial two-dose primary mRNA vaccine series. A booster shot, by contrast, is an additional dose of vaccine administered when the initial sufficient immune response to a primary vaccine series is likely to have waned over time.
The need for and timing of a COVID-19 booster dose have not been established. The additional mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose should be administered at least 28 days after completing the initial series, and should be the same vaccine product (brand) received initially.
Contact your physician or a health-care provider to learn if your health status aligns with any of the criteria below.
Those who qualify for the additional dose include people 12 years of age and older with medical conditions, including:
• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy.
• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy).
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory .
To find a COVID-19 vaccination site, visit www.vaccines.gov text your zip code to 438829, or call 211. You can also call 844-684-1064 or 800-232-0233.
Many pharmacies (Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, or your local pharmacy chain) might offer walk-in vaccinations. Always call the location ahead of your visit to ensure availability. If you have any questions, please contact vaccine@jeffersoncountywi.gov.
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