Recommendations for COVID Vaccine 3rd Doses and Boosters

graphic with text "Update: 3rd doses of COVID-19 vaccines"

Recommendations for Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Doses

3rd Dose for Individuals who are Immunocompromised

Announced in August 2021, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people who received 2 doses of mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) receive an additional dose to ensure adequate protection against COVID-19.  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

Contact your healthcare provider about their medical condition and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for you. Your provider can assist you with where you can find a third dose of vaccine.

Booster Dose for All Individuals Who Received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) - Not yet approved

The federal government has made a recommendation for all individuals who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine receive a booster dose 8 months after the second dose.  However, this is not taking place immediately. This recommendation must first be authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). FDA is conducting an independent evaluation to determine the safety and effectiveness of a booster dose of the mRNA vaccines. ACIP will decide whether to issue a booster dose recommendation based on a thorough review of the evidence.
Health Department