Ventura County Government: Additional MRNA Dose For Immunocompromised Persons

Press release from the Ventura County Government:

August 17, 2021

Download article: English

This message is intended for all healthcare providers in the County of Ventura.Please distribute as appropriate.

Key Messages

View the Clinician Outreach and Communication Webinar Here:https://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/calls/2021/callinfo_081721.asp

Additional Dose of mRNA Vaccine for Moderate and Severely Immunocompromised Persons.

A 2-dose series of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine works very well in the majority of individuals, but there is evidence that some people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised have a reduced immune response and may benefit from a third dose. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least four weeks after completing their initial series. This ACIP recommendation follows the FDA amendment to emergency use authorizations (EUAs) for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to allow for the use of an additional vaccine dose for certain immunocompromised.

For public health purposes, the CDC states that immunocompromised persons are still considered fully vaccinated > 2 weeks after completing a primary vaccine series (i.e., 2-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series or a single dose of the Janssen vaccine). However, an additional third dose should be considered for people with moderate to severe immune compromise due to a medical condition or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments. These conditions and treatments include but are not limited to:

Additional information for providers regarding the level of immune suppression associated with a range of medical conditions and treatments can be found:

The CDC has updated COVID-19 vaccine clinical considerations to include a new section on the considerations for use of an additional mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose for immunocompromised persons. Some key points include:

The CDC has also published a new page for consumers COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People.

Qualified individuals can go to any vaccine site for their third dose. More information at www.venturacountyrecovers.org/vaccine-information/

This press release was produced by the Ventura County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.