The Hillsboro County Health Department is echoing recent information about the possible need for some people to receive a third dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have had a lot of questions about third doses of the Moderna,” Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner said in a recent post to the health department’s Facebook page. He recommended following recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and may not build the same level of immunity to a two-dose vaccine compared to people without compromised immune systems.

The CDC recommends the additional dose for this population at least 28 days after a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

People who are recommended for the third dose include those in the following categories:

· Those who have been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood;

· Those who have received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system;

· Those who have received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system;

· Those with a moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);

· Those with advanced or untreated HIV infection;

· Those on active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress the immune response.

The CDC advised people to talk to their health care provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.

Additionally, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, in a recent news release, endorsed COVID-19 booster shots to be administered to a wider population. For the nearly 15 million people who received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots are recommended for those who are 18 and older.

For individuals who received a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the groups eligible for a booster include those 65 and older, and those above 18 who live in long-term care settings, have underlying medical conditions, or work or live in high-risk settings.

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. The CDC recommendations allow for changing the type of vaccine used in the original does to a different vaccine.

The CDC continues to recommend initial doses of the vaccines to the more than 65 million Americans who remain unvaccinated.

“These recommendations are another example of our fundamental commitment to protect as many people as possible from COVID-19. The evidence shows that all three COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States are safe — as demonstrated by the over 400 million vaccine doses already given. And, they are all highly effective in reducing the risk of severe disease, hospitalization, and death, even in the midst of the widely circulating Delta variant,” said Walensky.

Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.