According To The CDC, Some People Need 4th Shot Of COVID Vaccine.

The change comes months after the CDC recommended a third dose for people with compromised immune systems.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control also Prevention quietly updated their Covid-19 vaccine guidelines for large groups of immunocompromised people, saying they could get a booster dose of the Covid vaccine at least six months then complete their primary series of vaccinations. But unlike booster shots for most Americans, booster shots for immunocompromised people could be their fourth vaccine against Covid.

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In August, the CDC recommended that immunocompromise individuals who have initially been vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna mRNA vaccine but not the Johnson and Johnson vaccine should receive a third dose of the mRNA vaccine. This additional dose is not consider a booster dose but rather as part of your primary vaccination regimen.

According to the CDC, the new booster dose could be any vaccine available, including the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The goal from the third dose is to increase their immunity to the level of people with standard immune systems after two doses.

The purpose of this fourth dose will be different: to combat decreased immunity. However, it serves the same purpose as a booster dose given to people without an immune deficiency six months after their primary vaccination. According to the CDC, about 2.7% of adults in the United States are immunocompromise. This includes organ transplant recipients, some cancer patients, and people with HIV.

“We know that six months after you reach a good level of protection, your protection decreases … and we need to increase it,” said Dr. Dori Segev, Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins University, who studies reactions to the Covid vaccination in immunocompromised people. “This is for people with standard immune systems and people with immune deficiencies. But not every immunocompromised American needs a fourth shot.