CDC Recommends Third Dose of COVID Vaccine For Certain People With Compromised Immune Systems

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control announced it is recommending individuals with compromised immune systems to get an additional dose of the COVID vaccine.

It will also clear the way for doses to several million Americans who fall under this guideline.

Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, signed off on the advisement, agreeing that people with moderate to severe compromised immunes systems should receive an additional dose. The sign-off came only a few hours after the agency’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices unanimously endorsed it, The Hill reported.

The agency felt the recommendation is needed after data showed that people with moderate to severe immune systems do not always have the same immunity as those with an uncompromised immune system.

Walensky said the recommendation is “an important step in ensuring everyone, including those most vulnerable to COVID-19, can get as much protection as possible from COVID-19 vaccination.”

“At a time when the Delta variant is surging, an additional vaccine dose for some people with weakened immune systems could help prevent serious and possibly life-threatening COVID-19 cases within this population,” Walensky continued.

The recommendation is only for the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, and the additional doses aren’t being classified as boosters.

The agency advises people with moderate to severely compromised immune systems to get an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after a second dose.