On Wednesday August 18, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a plan, pending final review by the FDA and CDC, to begin offering booster shots starting the week of September 20th. The additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine will be given 8 months after the second dose, with the rollout being similar to the initial rollout. We will provide more information on this as it becomes available, and when the plan is finalized by the FDA.
Further studies are ongoing to determine the need for a booster dose for those who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. At this time there is not one recommended, even for those who are immunocompromised.
Currently, the only populations eligible for the additional dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.
This includes people who have:
Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
Advanced or untreated HIV infection
Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
The additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be the same vaccine as the initial series and administered at least four weeks after completing a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series.
If you believe you fall into this category, we recommend that you contact your healthcare provider to discuss this further so we can add you to a list for a booster dose of the vaccine.
If you’d like to read the full statements from the CDC, please see below:
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