On May 20, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strengthened its recommendation and updated guidance that the following people should receive a second COVID-19 booster dose:
- People ages 12 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised
- People ages 50 years and older
CDC recommends a second booster of Pfizer or Moderna at least four months after an individual receives their first booster.
As a reminder, an individual is considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after completion of the primary series. Moderate to severely immunocompromised individuals should receive an additional dose as part of the primary series to be considered fully vaccinated. Under the new CDC guidance, an individual is now considered ‘up to date’ after receiving all doses in the primary series and all boosters that one is eligible for.
Please offer a second booster to all the eligible residents and keep in mind that the new CDC definition of “up-to-date” is tied to many parts of current CDC and CMS guidance.
Facilities should immediately begin to implement the new definition for “up-to-date” as it pertains to CDC and CMS guidance related to infection control (e.g., masking, resident placement in transmission-based precautions, etc.). Before July 1, facilities must update relevant facility policies and offer additional boosters to eligible residents and staff.
Please contact svuppalanchi@isdh.in.gov if your facility is experiencing any barriers to offering the COVID-19 vaccine.