Missouri announces COVID-19 booster shots for those with compromised immune systems
Some Missourians with compromised immune systems are now eligible to receive a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine following recent approval by federal regulators, the state’s public health agency said Tuesday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week authorized and recommended a third shot for certain patients classified as moderately or severely immunocompromised. Booster shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are approved in Missouri for patients experiencing several conditions that cause them to be immunocompromised, including:
▪ Organ transplant patients taking immunosuppressive medicine
▪ Cancer patients actively taking treatments affecting the immune system
▪ Those diagnosed with syndromes that cause a person to be immunocompromised.
▪ Those immunocompromised by advanced or untreated HIV infection
The state is following a federally recommended model of self-attestation, meaning those seeking a third shot will not be asked to present proof of their health status, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
The new guidance from the state does not apply to those who received a Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine. Those with Pfizer or Moderna vaccines should get a third dose from the same vaccine provider if possible, the state health agency says.
Residents are advised to wait 28 days after their second dose before receiving a third shot.
The new guidance comes as much of Missouri and the Kansas City area remain are considered by the federal government where transmission risk is high. As of Tuesday, the Kansas City metropolitan area added 452 daily cases of COVID-19 and 4,730 over the past week, according to data maintained by The Star.
The state offers guidance on vaccine providers and events at MOStopsCovid.com.
