Dear Patients:
On March 29th, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for people over 50 and certain immunocompromised individuals. According to the FDA, emerging evidence suggests that a second booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine improves protection against severe COVID-19 and is not associated with new safety concerns.
The recommendations are as follows:
- A second booster dose of either Pfizer (for ages 12–49 years) or Moderna (for 18 years and older) vaccine for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and wish to increase their individual protection at least 4 months after receipt of their previous booster dose. These include people who have undergone solid organ transplantation, or are living with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.
- A second booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for people 50 years of age and older who wish to increase their individual protection at least 4 months after receipt of their previous booster dose.
- A second booster dose of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine for all people who received the primary vaccine and booster dose of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months ago.
A recommendation on booster doses for the rest of the population is coming soon. The FDA is convening a panel of vaccine experts on April 6th to discuss the efficacy of booster shots and the potential need for a variant-specific booster…please watch your email for updates from that meeting.
As always, please reach out to our office with questions about your personal health situation.
Stay safe and well,
Monica D. Sarang, MD
