Use of Additional COVID Vaccine Dose for Immunocompromised Individuals

• By: Danielle Watford
• On: 08/16/2021 08:24:53
• In: COVID-19

On August 12, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration modified the Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to allow for administration of an additional dose (i.e., a third dose) of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after an initial 2-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series for certain immunocompromised people.

On August 13, 2021, the U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) reviewed the data for use of an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised people. ACIP made an interim recommendation for use of an additional dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (for persons aged 12 years) or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (for persons aged 18 years) after an initial 2-dose primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series for moderately to severely immunocompromised people.

Please see the Maine Health Alert Network (HAN) System Public Health Advisory for further guidance on the recommendation: Advisory Memo

Staff Contact: dwatford@mehca.org