ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised will be able to get a third dose of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Erie County starting Thursday.
The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) made the announcement on Wednesday following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amendment of the Emergency Use Authorizations for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines last week.
People who are 12 and older who are immunocompromised because of a medical condition or are undergoing immunosuppressive treatments should talk to their doctor or health care provider about getting a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Anyone seeking a third dose with ECDOH will be asked to sign an form to confirm they have a medical condition or are receiving treatment or medication that makes them eligible.
Eligible reasons include but are not limited to:
- Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies;
- Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy;
- Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy);
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome);
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection;
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.
Third doses will be available every weekday, Monday through Friday, from noon to 4 p.m. at ECC South, Building 7 (the old DMV), and at all other ECDOH clinic sites. The ECDOH COVID-19 Information Line can be reached at (716) 858-2929. The ECDOH attestation form and full clinic schedule are on the department's website.
COVID-19 vaccination should be taken into consideration when planning immunosuppressive therapies, and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines such as Pfizer and Moderna should be administered at least two weeks before such treatment, according to federal guidance.
The current updated vaccine guidance does not include chronic condition, such as diabetes or heart disease, or for residents of long-term care facilities who do not meet the criteria.
The FDA and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not issued guidance for third vaccine doses for other fully vaccinated individuals. The FDA’s amendments do not apply to the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
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