St. Claire HealthCare Now Offering Third Dose of COVID Vaccine for Immunocompromised Individuals

“Individuals with a compromised immune system are among the most vulnerable to COVID-19, and data has shown that they may not receive adequate protection from a two-dose vaccine series,” said Will Melahn, MD, St. Claire HealthCare’s Chief Medical Officer and VP for Medical Affairs. “People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised may benefit from receiving an additional dose of an mRNA vaccine.”

Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) at least 28 days after they complete their initial vaccine series to maximize their protection against COVID-19 and reduce their risk of serious complications. This includes people who have:

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies;
• Solid-organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants;
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection; and
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other immunosuppressive medications.

“It’s important to be sure that you receive the same type of vaccine as your initial series,” Dr. Melahn added. “If you received the Moderna vaccine for your first two doses, your third dose has to be Moderna as well.”

People with normal immune systems and those who have received a Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine are not advised to receive an additional dose at this time.

If you have any questions about whether or not you should receive a third dose at this time, talk with your healthcare provider.

To schedule your third dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, call 606.783.7539. Schedulers are available to take your call Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM. Please bring your vaccination card to your appointment so the type of your initial vaccine can be confirmed and to verify it has been at least 28 days since your last dose.