CDC recommends third (booster) doses five months after Moderna/Pfizer primary series

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities)   From: CDPHE Residential Care Strike Team and Infection Prevention Unit    We updated our long-term care vaccine clinic toolkit to reflect recent recommendations from CDC. You can continue to stay up to date with the latest vaccine information/resources in the toolkit by referencing the last updated date in the top right corner of the document.    Summary of Recent Changes: Modified language to align with CDC’s recommendation for when many people can receive a third dose, shortening the interval from six to five months for people who received the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. This means that people can now receive a third dose of Pfizer or Moderna five months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna primary series. The booster interval recommendation for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (two months) has not changed. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require multiple doses to build the highest level of protection. Many long-standing, routine vaccines work the same way, with multiple doses given over a certain time period. Guidance now recommends people age 12 and older get three doses of these vaccines. If you got Pfizer for your first dose, you’ll need to get a second dose 21 days (three weeks) after your first dose. CDC now recommends if you’re 12 or older, you should get a third dose five months after your second dose. For adults 18 years and older, your third dose should be either Pfizer or Moderna. People age 12 to 17 years old can only get a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for their third dose. Moderately or severely immunocompromised 5- to 11-year olds should also receive an additional primary dose of Pfizer vaccine 28 days after their second dose, but are not recommended for a fourth (booster) dose at this time. Only the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for children aged 5-11.