Need A COVID Booster Shot? Atlantic Health System Has Them

NORTH JERSEY — Need a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine? Atlantic Health Systems is offering a third dose of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines to eligible individuals.

A third vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals is now available in the Garden State, a shot "intended to ensure that [immunocompromised people] have enough protection against COVID because they may not build up the same level of immunity as other people," said New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli during a Monday afternoon news conference.

Earlier in August, President Joe Biden announced that booster shots will be available in the nation starting Sept. 20. The FDA and the CDC have already authorized a third dose of either Pfizer or Modera COVID-19 vaccines for those who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Read more: COVID-19 Booster Shot Authorized For Immunocompromised

Atlantic Health Systems — a major North Jersey healthcare network — requires appointments to receive a booster shot. Make an appointment here. Setting an appointment requires answering a series of questions about eligibility. The vaccines are free.

The CDC recommends that moderately or severely immunocompromised patients receive a third dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. That includes people who have:

• been 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 within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• advanced or untreated HIV infection
• active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Learn more about eligibility from the CDC.

According to the CDC, 65.8 percent of Morris County is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 73.2 percent of the county has received at least one dose.

With reporting from Nicole Rosenthal/Patch

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