The Arkansas Department of Health has issued a memorandum directing that a third dose of the COVID vaccine is recommended and may be administered to those who are immunocompromised and fully vaccinated (with two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines).
The memo states that the CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose. This includes people who have:
• Been receiving active cancer treatment for solid tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a CAR-T- cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response (≥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.
Persons who have a weakened immune system other than what is listed above, should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.
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