A third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is recommended 28 days or more after the second dose in immunocompromised people such as those with:
- Active or recent treatment for cancer/malignancy
- Solid-organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other immunosuppressive medications
In addition to these, Dr. Steven Stack, the Kentucky Public Health Commissioner said that they were adding a group in Kentucky to the qualified list: every resident in a long term care facility.
This decision was made due to the fact that two-thirds of all deaths in Kentucky from COVID-19 occurred in long-term care facilities, Stack said.
He then specified the reason for including them in the booster approval criteria was because of their often medically frail condition and the congregant environment in which they live.
The list for those who qualify for a booster is not exhaustive. People are encouraged to discuss with their medical provider whether or not they qualify under the criteria.
