Beaumont encourages immunocompromised patients to get third dose of COVID-19 vaccine

Appointments now available for those who meet criteria

Patients who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and received two injections of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are encouraged to get a third dose. Those who meet the criteria outlined below can now make an appointment online for their third dose at Beaumont Health. A myBeaumontChart account is required.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional dose of the vaccine. According to the CDC, that 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 two 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.

“Now is the time for the most vulnerable - those who are immunocompromised - to get a third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Matthew Sims, director, Infectious Disease Research at Beaumont Health. “An additional dose could provide more protection from the virus and variants.”

Those meeting the criteria should note:

• People who received two Pfizer vaccine doses or two Moderna vaccine doses should get a third dose of vaccine produced by the same manufacturer.
• The third dose should be at least 28 days after their second dose.
• Beaumont will offer the Pfizer vaccine at the Beaumont Service Center in Southfield and Beaumont Hospital, Troy.
• Beaumont will offer the Moderna vaccine at Beaumont Hospital, Dearborn.
• This additional dose is not for people who received the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
• Immunocompromised individuals seeking a third dose may also consider other vaccination sites outside Beaumont, such as pharmacies and retail locations.

“There has been a lot of news about COVID-19 vaccinations, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine and an eight-month booster,” Dr. Sims explained. “To clarify, this third dose of the mRNA vaccine we’re sharing now is only for the immunocompromised. For those who are not immunocompromised, we believe a booster will likely be available beginning sometime in September. The booster would be given eight months after an individual has received his or her second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.”

Beaumont requires all employees to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18

As a result of the FDA’s recent approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for individuals 16 years of age and older, Beaumont will require all team members - including, but not limited to, employees, physicians, residents/fellows, volunteers, students, vendors, contracted personnel and professional staff - to receive the complete initial dosing regimen by Monday, Oct. 18.

While the Pfizer vaccine has full approval, employees can also receive the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which currently have Emergency Use Authorization approval from the FDA.

“We know getting the COVID-19 vaccine is an important decision for people to make,” said Beaumont Health President and CEO John Fox. “We don’t want to lose one Beaumont team member. Since the positivity rate in the communities we serve has more than doubled in the past few months, the number of COVID-19 cases at Beaumont has increased. We need to follow the science and provide a safe environment for our patients, their families and each other.”