The FDA on Thursday authorized booster doses of Pfizer and Moderna for certain immunocompromised people, and today the director of the CDC approved it, following a recommendation by a federal advisory panel.
North Central Public Health District is awaiting guidance from the Oregon Health Authority, but has created a waitlist for people who qualify for the booster. To get on the waitlist, call 541-506-2600.
The booster criteria is aimed specifically at a “small, vulnerable group,” with “moderate to severe immune compromise” according to the FDA.
That includes:
- organ transplant recipients
- people being treated for tumors or cancers of the blood
- those with diseases that damage the immune system.
- those being treated with high-dose steroids
- those with chronic medical conditions that can weaken immune response, such as chronic kidney disease
The CDC has estimated 2.7 percent of U.S. adults are immunocompromised, or about 7 million people. The CDC will not require a doctor’s letter to qualify, people will only have to attest they have impaired immune systems.
(For more information, please visit COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon, contact North Central Public Health District at (541) 506-2600, visit us on the web at www.ncphd.org or find us on Facebook.)