COVOD BOOSTER NEWS

Third Shot Recommended for Immunocompromised; Open to All in September

By Abby Baker

A third COVID-19 shot is now recommended for certain immunocompromised people, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends those eligible make an appointment.

Currently, the CDC only recommends the third shot for people with vulnerable immune systems who already received both doses of either Pfizer or Moderna.

Individuals should consult their doctor if they are unsure if the shot applies to them.

“Pinellas County is continuing to follow CDC recommendations,” said Tom Iovino, Public Information Officer for the Pinellas County Health Department. “The vast majority of booster shots are being administered commercially – through something like Walgreens or CVS.”

The third shot should be taken at least 28 days after the second and provides extra protection against the highly contagious Delta variant, according to the CDC.

“The COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States continue to be highly effective in reducing risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant,” the CDC website states. “However, COVID-19 constantly evolves...with the Delta variant, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection against mild and moderate disease.

For Everyone Else

The Biden administration announced last week that the booster will become available to all people after September 20.

“Pinellas will provide more information closer to the September date,” Iovino said.

Those who were among the first to receive the vaccine this year, including seniors and other at-risk individuals, will follow the same track with the third vaccine.

The general public should wait eight months after their second dose before receiving the third, according to the announcement. Those that were administered a Johnson & Johnson vaccine are not eligible for a booster at this time.

“It is likely that people who received a J&J COVID-19 vaccine will need a booster dose,” the CDC released. “Because the J&J/Janssen vaccine wasn’t given in the United States until 70 days after the first mRNA vaccine doses (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna), the data needed to make this decision aren’t available yet.”

The CDC continues to recommend the use of masks and social distancing, even for those who are vaccinated.

On Monday, August 23, the FDA announced that it had fully approved the Pfizer vaccine. So far there is no timeline for a decision on vaccines for children under 12 as trials are still ongoing, according to NPR.

Make an Appointment

Making an appointment for the booster is nearly the same procedure as the original vaccine. Find more at covid19.pinellascounty. org/appointments or at cvs.com/ immunizations/covid-19-vaccine. Information on COVID testing and vaccines is at pinellas.floridahealth.gov.