BUTTE COUNTY, CA (MPG) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has fully approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for the prevention of COVID in individuals 16 years of age and older, including the administration of a third dose for persons who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. The vaccine continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA) for individuals 12 through 15 years of age.

A third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, sometimes referred to as a booster dose, is now available for persons who are moderately to severely immunocompromised. Third doses of Pfizer and Moderna may be administered 28 days or more after a person completes the initial two dose series. Currently, persons who received the Johnson & Johnson are not recommended to receive additional doses.

Persons who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should consult with their healthcare provider before getting their third dose. Those getting a third dose should get the same mRNA vaccine as their first two doses and may self-attest that they are immunocompromised – no documentation will be required.

According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and CDC, conditions that cause a person to be moderately to severely immunocompromised include:

Persons receiving cancer treatment; Persons taking immunosuppressive medications for cancer treatment, stem cell transplants, and other health conditions; Persons with advanced or untreated HIV; Persons with primary immunodeficiency syndromes.

A third dose is an important step for those who are immunocompromised, as they may not have responded to the first two doses in a way that provides them the same level of protection as someone who is otherwise in good health.

Based on recent studies showing that a person’s level of antibodies may decline over time, a third dose is likely to be recommended for persons who are not immunocompromised, at least eight months after being fully vaccinated. Butte County Public Health (BCPH) is waiting for direction from both the CDPH and the CDC for information about when a third dose will be available to the general public. BCPH anticipates that this will not happen until mid to late September. Once approved and available, BCPH will inform the public.

Currently, commercially available antibody tests are not useful in identifying level of protection after vaccination and are not recommended to determine the need for a third dose.

BCPH urges those who have not yet gotten vaccinated to do so as soon as possible and for those who have missed their second dose of a two-dose vaccine, to reschedule as soon as possible, even if it is outside the recommended timeframe. Getting fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is the safest choice everyone can make to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death.

View a full list of COVID-19 vaccination locations throughout Butte County, visit the BCPH COVID-19 Vaccine website: www.buttecounty.net/COVIDvaccine

Questions? Call the Butte County COVID-19 Call Center: 530.552.3050.