Still, CDC counts at least 90,000 who have gotten another dose on their own.įDA vaccines chief Dr. There's little data on how another dose works in high-risk people who received that vaccine, although it's likely a small number since fewer than 14 million Americans overall have received the J&J shot. WHAT IF I HAD THE SINGLE-DOSE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE? More research is underway to better tease out whether some immune-compromised patients need still other options, such as carefully monitored changes to their medications. And it's critical for family members and others close to fragile patients to be vaccinated. It's not a substitute for vaccination, but the FDA has authorized an antibody treatment as a preventive treatment if high-risk patients are exposed to the virus. Health experts urged these high-risk patients to continue masking and taking other precautions since there's no guarantee a third dose will work. Canadian researchers this week reported 55% of transplant recipients given a third dose two months after standard vaccination had good antibody levels compared to 18% who were given a dummy third shot for comparison. The government encourages the third dose to be the same as the first two, but doesn't mandate it. Shots given under FDA's emergency use authorization are free. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University. "We would want to make that as easy as possible," said Dr. The government isn't requiring either - patients will just need to tell the vaccine provider why they're seeking another dose. WILL I NEED A DOCTOR'S NOTE OR A BLOOD TEST? That could change if Moderna's vaccine eventually is allowed for teens. That's because the Pfizer vaccine currently is the only authorized option for Americans under 18. ARE THERE AGE RESTRICTIONS?įor now, the new policy allows a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for children as young as 12 who also meet the high-risk requirement, but adults only for a third Moderna dose. The FDA didn't spell out exactly who falls into those other categories, but in new guidance to doctors issued Friday, the CDC listed several categories of people who could qualify, including people with advanced or untreated HIV infections and those with cancers who are receiving certain chemotherapies. Roughly 7 million American adults are classified as immune-compromised, but the FDA singled out transplant recipients and others with similar levels of immune suppression. Walgreens locations nationwide are also offering the third dose following the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization and the new guidance from the CDC. But the decision offers an extra dose only to those high-risk groups - not the general public.ĬVS says people can schedule vaccination appointments on their website.Ī spokesperson for the company said those who want the booster shot will also be required to confirm that they are immuno-compromised during the scheduling process as well as when they get the third dose. It comes after the Food and Drug Administration ruled that transplant recipients and other similarly immune-compromised patients can get a third dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Here's what to know.ĬVS Pharmacy and Walgreens are both now administering COVID-19 booster shots, but only for those with weakened immune systems. Please visit the CVS website for details or click here.CVS and Walgreens will start giving third COVID-19 vaccine doses, but only for those with weakened immune systems.
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