Vaccine advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are now recommending an extra dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for some people with compromised immune systems.
The recommendation came Friday, one day after the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for immunocompromised individuals.
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The FDA determined that transplant recipients and others with a similar level of compromised immunity can receive a third dose of the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna at least 28 days after getting their second shot. The FDA made no mention of immune-compromised patients who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Importantly, the FDA’s decision only applies to this high-risk group, estimated to be no more than 3% of U.S. adults. It’s not an opening for booster doses for the general population.
According to the CDC, immunocompromised people make up a disproportionate number of COVID-19 vaccine breakthrough cases. Breakthrough infections happen when a fully vaccinated person gets the virus anyway.
The agency said 32% of vaccinated breakthrough cases are among those with compromised immune systems.
COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for the general public are not yet recommended.