I hope you are well. Here is some new information regarding the vaccines.
Vaccines
There has been a lot of information regarding a third “booster” shot for patients as the more contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus has taken hold. Currently, the FDA and CDC recommend that people who are immunocompromised receive this dose. Examples of this are as follows:
Active or recent treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.
Receipt of solid-organ or recent hematopoietic stem cell transplants.
Severe primary immunodeficiency.
Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, tumor-necrosis blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.
On 08/18/2021 the NIH, CDC and FDA put out a joint statement that a booster dose of the vaccine will be available starting the week of September 20. They will begin with health care providers and nursing home residents. The recommendation is that this group receive the booster or third dose 8 months after the second dose was given. I also recommend that if you do get a booster, get the same shot that was received in the primary series. The immunizations are widely available at Walgreen’s, CVS and Publix. Please also remember that the CDC is recommending we wear masks in indoor public spaces while the virus is circulating so widely.
Updated NCH COVID information page: https://nchmd.org/news-and-events/newsroom/coronavirus
Paul Jones MD