Third COVID vaccines available for the immuno-compromised

The Fairfax County Health Department hosted a mobile vaccine clinic at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale earlier this month.

The Fairfax County Health District is now scheduling appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine booster for people who have compromised immune systems due to medical conditions or are receiving immunosuppressive treatments.

The third dose is only available to people who have received a second dose of the Pfizer BioNTech or Moderna vaccine at least 28 days ago, the Fairfax County Health Department states. 

The third dose should be the same mRNA vaccine as the primary series. The Health Department is supplying only Pfizer vaccine at this time. Make an appointment here. Those who received the Moderna vaccine can visit www.vaccines.gov to find a provider.

People with these conditions are eligible for a third dose:

• Active treatment for a solid tumor and cancers of the blood.
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking medications to suppress the immune system.
• Receipt of a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day) or other drugs that may suppress the immune system.

Fairfax County Health Department vaccination sites are not requiring medical documentation.

“While available evidence shows that a third dose provides a modest benefit to improving the immune response to mRNA vaccination,” the Health Department states, “it is important to remember that immunocompromised people might still not have a strong level of protection against COVID-19, even after receiving the third dose of vaccine.”

Additional COVID precautions remain important for the immuno-compromised. They still need to wear a mask, maintain physical distance from others outside the home, and avoid crowds and poorly ventilated indoor spaces. 

There is not enough information to recommend an additional vaccine dose for people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Studies are currently underway to evaluate the protection provided by the J&J vaccine to people with weakened immune systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to issue recommendations in the near future.

Meanwhile, the CDC does not recommend that people with a compromised immune system who have received a dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine start a new vaccination series with Pfizer or Moderna.