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COVID- 19 Third Dose Approved for Certain Immunocompromised Individuals

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 3 years ago.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved an additional third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for certain people who are immunocompromised due to a medical condition or because they are receiving medications or treatments that weaken their immune response.

The specific conditions and treatments include but are not limited to:

  • 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 in the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as common variable immunodeficiency, DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
  • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response (for example: azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, interferon, methotrexate, mycophenolate, biologic medicines/monoclonal antibodies like infliximab, adalimumab, etanercept)
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection

People who are immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness, and may benefit from an additional dose to make sure they have enough protection against COVID-19. The CDC recommendation applies to immunocompromised people who received one of the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) and not the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine (J&J).

Cambridge residents who have questions about whether a third dose of vaccine is recommended should contact their medical provider to discuss these recommendations.

Additional information may be found on the CDC’s website here.

Page was posted on 8/17/2021 5:08 PM
Page was last modified on 7/25/2023 12:32 AM
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