San Francisco to offer third vaccine dose to immunocompromised people

San Francisco will now offer a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna coronavirus vaccine to certain immunocompromised patients, including those who have had organ transplants, received treatment for blood cancers or are in the advanced stage of an HIV infection.

The city’s health department says vaccine trials have shown that those with moderate to severe immunosuppression can benefit from a third dose. Their guidance aligns with recent advice from the both the state and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other patients that are covered include those who have received a stem cell transplant within two years and are currently on immunosuppressive medications, those with “moderate or severe immunodeficiency” and those who are taking high doses of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive drugs. All told, the number of eligible people is expected to be fairly small, according the health department.

“With a third dose of an mRNA vaccine our intent is to prevent severe illness among people who may not have had a complete immune response to the initial 2-dose series,” Dr. Grant Colfax, the city’s health director, said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor guidance from the CDC for further eligibility expansion. For now, we ask that only individuals who meet the criteria for immune compromise request a third dose.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/san-francisco-to-offer-third-vaccine-dose-to-immunocompromised-people/ar-AANtajG