Who qualifies for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine?

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Americans astatine precocious hazard from COVID-19 due to the fact that of severely weakened immune systems are present allowed to get a 3rd vaccination successful hopes of amended protection, a argumentation alteration endorsed Friday by influential authorities advisers.

The Food and Drug Administration ruled that transplant recipients and different likewise immune-compromised patients tin get a 3rd dose of either the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccine. But the decision offers an other dose lone to those high-risk groups — not the wide public.

These patients person been clamoring for months for amended protection, immoderate of them traveling crossed authorities lines oregon lying to get different dose. About 1.1 cardinal radical already person gotten astatine slightest a 3rd dose of the Pfizer oregon Moderna vaccines connected their own, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed, though it’s not wide however galore did truthful due to the fact that they had weakened immune systems.

Advisers to the CDC grappled Friday with precisely who qualifies earlier unanimously endorsing the FDA’s decision.

Here are immoderate things to know:

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE NEED AN EXTRA DOSE?

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines connection almighty extortion for different steadfast people, but galore who instrumentality immune-suppressing medications oregon person diseases that tamp down their immune systems mostly get little payment from the modular 2 doses. The CDC cited 1 survey suggesting astir 40% to 44% of radical hospitalized for a alleged breakthrough lawsuit — corruption aft vaccination — are among the immune-compromised.

Those hospitalized patients “did each the close things -- they’re conscionable suffering from a deficiency of bully vaccine protection,” said Dr. Camille Kotton of Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 of CDC’s advisers.

WHO QUALIFIES?

Roughly 7 cardinal American adults are classified arsenic immune-compromised, but the FDA singled retired transplant recipients and others with akin levels of immune suppression. The FDA didn’t spell retired precisely who falls into those different categories. But according to the CDC, radical with humor cancers, those taking definite crab chemotherapies, and those taking definite medications specified arsenic rituximab for rheumatoid arthritis thin to person particularly mediocre responses to vaccination.

ARE THERE AGE RESTRICTIONS?

For now, the caller argumentation allows a 3rd dose of the Pfizer vaccine for children arsenic young arsenic 12 who besides conscionable the high-risk requirement, but adults lone for a 3rd Moderna dose. That’s due to the fact that the Pfizer vaccine presently is the lone authorized enactment for Americans nether 18. That could alteration if Moderna’s vaccine yet is allowed for teens.

WILL I NEED A DOCTOR’S NOTE OR A BLOOD TEST?

The authorities isn’t requiring either — patients volition conscionable request to archer the vaccine supplier wherefore they’re seeking different dose. “We would privation to marque that arsenic casual arsenic possible,” said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases adept astatine Vanderbilt University.

WHAT WILL A THIRD DOSE COST?

Shots fixed nether FDA’s exigency usage authorization are free.

IS MIX-AND-MATCH ALLOWED?

The authorities encourages the 3rd dose to beryllium the aforesaid arsenic the archetypal two, but doesn’t mandate it.

HOW WELL DOES A THIRD DOSE WORK?

It helps astatine slightest immoderate people. Canadian researchers this week reported 55% of transplant recipients fixed a 3rd dose 2 months aft modular vaccination had bully antibody levels compared to 18% who were fixed a dummy 3rd changeable for comparison. Health experts urged these high-risk patients to proceed masking and taking different precautions since there’s nary warrant a 3rd dose volition work.

Dr. Jonathan Kantor, a Jacksonville epidemiologist, said patients tin expect broadside effects akin to the 2nd dose.

“That 3rd changeable is going to beryllium akin to the 2nd shot, truthful for those who’ve had a Moderna oregon Pfizer vaccine before. It’s not going to beryllium similar the archetypal changeable with a conscionable a sore arm, you whitethorn extremity up feeling icky from that,” Kantor said.

WHAT IF A THIRD DOSE STILL DOESN’T WORK?

It’s not a substitute for vaccination, but the FDA has authorized an antibody attraction arsenic a preventive attraction if high-risk patients are exposed to the virus. And it’s captious for household members and others adjacent to fragile patients to beryllium vaccinated.

More probe is underway to amended tease retired whether immoderate immune-compromised patients request inactive different options, specified arsenic cautiously monitored changes to their medications.

WHAT IF I HAD THE SINGLE-DOSE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE?

There’s small information connected however different dose works successful high-risk radical who received that vaccine, though it’s apt a tiny fig since less than 14 cardinal Americans wide person received the J&J shot. Still, CDC counts astatine slightest 90,000 who person gotten different dose connected their own.

“The Johnson and Johnson changeable isn’t mentioned astatine each successful the FDA announcement, that’s astir apt due to the fact that they don’t person the day they privation to leap to that point,” said Kantor. “The crushed they made that announcement erstwhile they did is simply a New England Journal of Medicine article, explaining conscionable however effectual it tin beryllium boosting that immune response.”

FDA vaccines main Dr. Peter Marks said the bureau is moving to get much accusation astir immune-suppressed J&J patients but that for now, the grounds lone backs a proposal of other doses for Pfizer and Moderna recipients with fragile immune systems.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives enactment from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely liable for each content.

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