Third vaccine dose available?
FDA authorized additional COVID shot for those with compromised immune systems
A third dose of the COVID vaccine will be available to Connecticut residents who have medical conditions that limit their immune system as the state’s positivity rate and hospitalizations have reached their highest point since the spring.
The move by the state comes after the Food and Drug Administration modified the emergency authorizations for the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to allow this small group of people to receive a third shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quickly followed by endorsing this nationwide.
“The Connecticut Department of Public Health will work with providers and the public to ensure that individuals who need
a third dose can get one,” Gov. Ned Lamont said in announcing that Connecticut would follow the federal recommendation. “Our vaccine providers stand ready to provide COVID vaccines in line with these updated recommendations.”
As Connecticut plans to provide a third dose to some residents, COVID cases have continued to increase across the state. Through the weekend, the positivity rate for new COVID tests was 3.55 percent, the highest since early April. Hospitalizations continued to climb by a net of 26 patients for a total of 285 statewide, the highest level since early May.
The state does not have an estimate of how many people will be eligible for the third shot, which will be the same as the first two doses the person received. Health officials consider the shot to be an added step in the vaccine series for these individuals and it is not considered a booster.
Here’s what you need to know about the third shot:
Who is eligible for a third dose?
The recommendation, from the CDC and the state, limits those who are eligible for a third shot to people who have “moderately to severely compromised immune systems.”
The conditions that would make someone eligible include:
Treatment for a solid tumor or hematologic malignancies
Solid-organ transplant recipient taking immunosuppressive therapy
CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipient
Those with moderate to severe primary immunodeficieny
An advanced for untreated HIV infection
Those receiving treatment that includes high-dose corticosteroids, 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.
Eligibility includes anyone with these conditions who 12 years old and older, officials said.
When can an eligible person get a third dose?
State officials said they are coordinating with providers to implement the new policy, and some providers have said they are working to schedule these appointments.
Officials said eligible individuals should be able to receive a third dose from any clinic or provider in the state.
DPH said Monday residents who believe they are eligible should contact their physician for next steps and to schedule an appointment.
The CDC and other health agencies say individuals must wait 28 days after they received a second dose to get a third shot.
Will you need to prove you are immunocompromised?
It appears people do not need to provide proof they have one of the eligible conditions to get a third dose of the vaccine.
In announcing the state would follow the CDC’s recommendation, officials said a prescription or referral is not required to get a third dose.
Why are officials recommending a third dose?
Health officials are recommending a third dose after reviewing recent studies that show certain immunocompromised individuals do not build up the same level of immunity as someone who is not immunocompromised would after two doses of the vaccine.
Some small studies have shown that immunocompromised individuals who are fully vaccinated have comprised a large portion of the “breakthrough” COVID-19 cases, the CDC said.
This recommendation comes as cases are continuing to increase in Connecticut and
across the country amid the spread of the highly transmissible delta variant.
“At a time when the delta variant is surging, an additional vaccine dose for some people with weakened immune systems could help prevent serious and possibly life-threatening COVID-19 cases within this population,” the CDC said in a statement.
Will Connecticut be able to meet the demand?
Vaccine supplies have not been a major issue in Connecticut since the general demand for the vaccine dropped off sharply in June and July.
Given that state officials believe the number of people eligible for a third dose is relatively low, there are no concerns about whether there will be enough doses.
“This recommendation will apply to a relatively small number of individuals in Connecticut and we do not anticipate any challenges with adequate vaccine supply,” DPH Acting Commissioner Dr. Deidre Gifford said. “We have a broad and strong network of vaccine providers, including approximately 400 pharmacy locations alone, across the state that are ready to administer additional COVID-19 vaccine doses in line with these recommendations.”
What if you received a single-dose Johnson &
Johnson vaccine?
The recommendation for an additional dose doesn’t extend to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at this time, according to state and federal officials.
The CDC, in its latest guidance, said there is not enough data to determine whether individuals get an “improved antibody response” with an additional dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Should you stick with the same vaccine?
Health officials said those eligible should continue to get the same vaccine they were initially administered in the first two doses.
However, they said if one mRNA vaccine is not available, they could get another dose of a separate mRNA vaccine. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines use mRNA, while Johnson & Johnson does not.
What if you aren’t eligible?
Top health experts say only those who are immunocompromised should get a third dose of the vaccine at this time.
Boosters and potential additional doses have been discussed, but no decision has been made by top regulators.
Pfizer-BioNTech has said it will seek approval for a booster. Some experts believe it is likely that a booster will be needed in the future.