COVID-19 Booster Shots: Do You Need One If You Received a Third Dose?

NOTE:  The following information was published Jan. 28, 2022. For current information, please visit LVHN.org/vaccines.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the recommendations for keeping ourselves protected have evolved.

One of the latest guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) focuses on immunocompromised people who received a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.

It is now recommended that these individuals receive a booster shot five months after getting their third primary dose. This will help maintain their level of protection, even as the omicron variant becomes more prevalent in the U.S.

People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems do not always build the same level of immunity as others after their initial COVID-19 vaccine series.

Because of this, the CDC recommends that individuals age 5 and older who received the initial Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine series receive a third shot if they:

• Are receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Have received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress their immune system
• Have undergone a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress their immune system
• Have moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Have advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Are undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress immune response

Individuals who received a Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine should receive a booster (preferably Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) two months after the initial one-shot J&J vaccination. They should only receive an additional dose of the J&J COVID-19 vaccine if they are unable to receive an mRNA vaccine booster (for example, patients with allergies to a component of the mRNA vaccines).

There are two easy ways to schedule an appointment for your booster:

1. If you already have a MyLVHN account:

Sign In

2. If you need to create a MyLVHN account:

Sign Up