Third Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine In NY: New Details Released

LONG ISLAND, NY — With just about half of the U.S. population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the federal government is finalizing plans to administer a third jab.

Pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Biden administration will start rolling out third booster shots to Americans as early as mid-September, Reuters is reporting.

The booster shot is expected for the general population eight months after receiving the second dose. Like with the initial cycle of the COVID-19, health care workers and nursing home residents and older people would likely be the first to receive the third shot, CNBC reported.

There is no specific guidance from the New York State Department of Health on how the extra shot would be rolled out.

A third dose was already announced for immunocompromised people, the state's Department of Health said.

People are considered moderately to severely immunocompromised if they have been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood, have received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system, or have received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.

Also considered immunocompromised are residents with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome), advanced or untreated HIV infection, or are actively treated with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune response.

Residents who already know that they meet these clinical guidelines can contact a vaccine provider and make an appointment 28 days after their second dose.

Those who are unsure if they should receive the third dose can await word from their health care provider indicating eligibility for a third dose, or contact their health care provider to confirm their eligibility.

The CDC's latest guidance on the third dose does not apply to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.