MDS Alert

Question: What do I need to know about a potential third booster COVID-19 vaccination for residents?

Maryland Subscriber

Answer: Right now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending an additional — third — booster shot only for people whose immune systems are compromised by certain diseases. People were vaccinated with two doses of an mRNA vaccine and are living with cancer, advanced or untreated HIV and some people who have received organ or stem cell transplants or are taking mediation to suppress their immune systems may need an additional booster.

The CDC may update its guidance as more information becomes available. Israel recently released data showing that a third booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 86 percent more effective than the initial two doses at preventing infections and that people who received a third dose were better protected against the delta variant, according to a Reuters report. The population involved in the study were people over 60 years old.

However, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, made an official call for moratorium on third boosters until at least the end of September, in hopes of getting at least 10 percent of every country vaccinated.