An extra dose of COVID-19 vaccine has been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for those with weakened immune systems.
The Department of Health and Welfare encourages those with weakened immune systems who have already received two doses of one of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to follow the recommendation and get an extra dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose. There are no CDC or state requirements for proof of immune status.
An additional dose should be considered for people with moderate to severely compromised immune symptoms due to a medical condition or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments. These conditions and treatments include but are not limited to:
- 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 (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥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.
Those with weakened immune systems should contact their healthcare providers to discuss their options, or visit the nearest vaccine clinic.
More information is available at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html and https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.