COVID-19 Vaccine Additional Third Dose Approved for Certain Immunocompromised Residents

Following the Food and Drug Administration or FDA, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, approval of an additional dose of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised people, Los Angeles County began administering third doses to those who qualify Aug. 14. The FDA has amended the Emergency Use Authorization for these vaccines to allow for a third dose which can be administered at least 28 days following the second dose of the vaccine. 

Ideally individuals should be vaccinated with the same vaccine they received for the first and second dose, but if that is not possible, receiving a third dose with another mRNA vaccine is acceptable. 

Although the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work very well in the majority of individuals, there is evidence that individuals who are severely immunocompromised are not fully protected after receiving two doses and this group may benefit from a third dose. Certain medical conditions or the treatments used for specific conditions may prevent the immune system from responding adequately to two doses of the vaccine and therefore require an additional dose to provide adequate protection from COVID-19. Individuals who qualify for a third dose include organ transplant recipients, people undergoing cancer treatment, people with advanced or untreated HIV and those on certain immunosuppressive medications. 

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health encourages individuals who qualify for a third dose to speak to their healthcare provider to confirm their eligibility and get vaccinated. Third doses of the vaccines will be accessible through vaccination sites that currently offer Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Eligible individuals will be able to provide a self-attestation that they have a qualifying medical condition at these sites. 

A follow-up dose is not currently recommended for those who have received a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The FDA is still evaluating data on the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in immunocompromised individuals.  COVID-19 vaccine booster doses are also not recommended for the general public at this time. 

Similar to the overall trend in L.A. County, the number of COVID-19 cases among people experiencing homelessness increased over the past few weeks. This week, there were 150 new cases reported among people experiencing homelessness which includes 74 cases from previous weeks that were newly identified as cases associated with people experiencing homelessness and are included in the new case totals. To date, 7,834 people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles County tested positive for COVID-19 and 218 people who were experiencing homelessness died from COVID-19.

There are 1,112 providers administering vaccinations to people experiencing homelessness; together they have administered over 49,282 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to people experiencing homelessness across Los Angeles County. Of the vaccinated people experiencing homelessness, 24,294 are fully vaccinated.

To find a vaccination site near you, make an appointment at vaccination sites, and much more, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish).

Details: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.