It’s been a while since I’ve done a post concerning COVID vaccines because it seemed we had fallen into a routine. Now things may be changing again for some who have previously received COVID vaccines.
TL;DR: if you are immunocompromise you may be encouraged to receive a third dose of COVID vaccine, pending recommendations tomorrow from the CDC.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the part of the CDC that makes official recommendations concerning the use of vaccines following a green light from FDA, is meeting tomorrow to discuss a recommendation that booster doses (I.e. a third shot of the same vaccines we have received already) be given to folks who are immunocompromised.
Based on their recommendation, pharmacies around the country can begin administering third doses of vaccines to people who have conditions they outline as requiring the boosted immunity of a third dose. This will not be a blanket authorization for pharmacies to administer a third dose for anyone who would like to have an extra shot, nor will it be an authorization for physicians to begin writing prescriptions for booster shots to people outside of the parameters set forth by ACIP tomorrow. Who all they include in that recommendation remains to be seen, but we will send more info out as soon as it’s available.
For the non-immunocompromised, I don’t think we will have a blanket recommendation for a third dose in the immediate future; however, once Pfizer and Moderna get full FDA approval rather than Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) prescribers may begin recommending a third dose for specific individuals in their care.
For all of us, please continue to use caution around others. Especially as the school year gets started take care with your children as the Delta variant has been a much bigger concern for children than we've had so far. Masking and hand cleaning were effective last year. Let’s do it again until this all calms down again. Children 12 years old and up can come see us and receive a Pfizer vaccine series, walk-ins welcome.
Take care,
Daniel