BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Health has made a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine available for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised.  

The CDC recommends waiting at least four weeks after receiving the second dose before getting another shot. The CDC has only made booster shots available for people who have received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.

Read the full statement below:

Following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s new recommendation, the Louisiana Department of Health is making third doses available for people whose immune systems are compromised moderately to severely and are fully vaccinated with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. 

As of Friday, August 13, 2021, CDC now recommends that people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least 28 days after their second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. CDC does not recommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population at this time.

Patients may self-attest to their condition by completing and signing this form https://ldh.la.gov/assets/oph/Center-CP/HANs/HANS21-58Attachment-3rdDoseAttestationForm.pdf. LDH also has asked vaccine providers to have these forms available for patients to complete.

Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic. Read CDC’s full statement: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html

What You Need to Know:

• People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness.
• People who have compromised immune systems may benefit from an additional dose to make sure they have enough protection against COVID-19.
• CDC recommends people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after their initial 2 doses.

Who Needs an Additional COVID-19 Vaccine?

Currently, CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
• Other conditions which cause moderate or severe immunosuppression similar to the above conditions
• People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
• Prescription or notation from a physician or other prescriber is not necessary at this time. Patients with one of the above conditions who wish to receive an additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine may self-attest to their condition by completing and signing this form.