Pfizer Booster Dose Information

On September 24, 2021 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for certain groups of individuals, including residents and health care workers in long-term care. This decision by the CDC and DFA offers another layer of protection that we need to fight the coronavirus that uniquely targets our vulnerable long-term care population. The CDC has issued Pfizer booster eligibility guidance.

The Indiana Department of Health (IDH) also supports the administration of Pfizer vaccine booster dose to people 18 years and older who completed the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as their primary series, and it has been at least six months since receiving the second dose, and they attest to meeting CDC guidelines as outlined below.

The CDC recommended the following eligible individuals:

• Persons age 65 and older and long-term care facility residents
• Persons age 50 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions
• Persons based on individual benefit and risk who are age 18 to 49 years with underlying medical conditions
• Persons 18-64 at increased risk of exposure and transmission due to occupational or institutional settings

The IDH recommends that people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 because they are more at risk of serious, prolonged illness, receive an additional dose of the mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine.

This includes people who have:

• Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
• Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
• Received a 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

Eligible Hoosiers who want to obtain a booster dose can go to www.ourshot.in.gov and search for a site that has the Pfizer vaccine, which is designated by PVAX, or call 211 for assistance. Hoosiers are encouraged to bring their vaccination card to their appointment to ensure that the booster dose is added. If a facility is unable to obtain Pfizer vaccine for the booster from their pharmacy partner, please contact Probary at outreach@probarisystems.com or 317-804-4102.

Zotec Booster Update from IDH

The Zotec system update including the booster dose attestation and consent is anticipated to go live Sunday. In the meantime, if an individual at your vaccination site presents for the booster dose, please administer the booster shot and document in the notes field, if using the Zotec platform. No proof of eligibility is required.

Please note that those eligible for the booster dose are not the same individuals already eligible for the third additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine due to their immunocompromised status. Sometimes people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised do not build  enough (or any) protection when they first get a vaccination. When this happens, getting another dose of the vaccine can sometimes help them build more protection against the disease. For those guidelines, please visit ourshot.in.gov.