Vaccine boosters available to immunocompromised New Yorkers

NEW YORK - New York City is opening about 100 pop-up vaccine sites outside of businesses and is now offering a vaccine booster to people whose immune system is moderately to severely compromised.

"People who are 12 years of age or older, have a condition or are taking medications or treatments that moderately or severely weakens their immune system, and received either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are eligible for a third dose," the city's Health Department states in a fact sheet.

That means a third dose of either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine is available to New Yorkers who have a weakened immune system, such as due to active treatment for cancer, having received an organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy, having received a stem cell transplant within the past two years, having a moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency, and more. 

"The recommendation is based on studies that show that the vaccines do not work as well for some people with immunocompromising conditions as compared to people without such conditions," the Health Department states. "You should discuss getting a third dose with your doctor. Your doctor will consider your medical conditions, treatment being received, risk of infection, and other factors."

Health authorities are recommending that people with a weakened immune system get their third shot at least four weeks after the second dose. 

New York City's indoor vaccine mandate went into effect on Tuesday. The city is teaming up with restaurants, gyms, and entertainment venues to host the pop-up vaccine sites.

Federal health experts are expected to soon officially recommend COVID-19 boosters for all Americans about eight months after their previous dose. The city's health officials said they will be ready to administer those doses when the feds make it official.

"The highest priority people for this third dose will be the ones who got doses one and two first, which is health care workers, employees of nursing homes, the elderly, people over 70, for example," Dr. John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College, told FOX 5 NY. "And then it will gradually work down the age ranges." 

The delta variant is spreading aggressively through unvaccinated communities and also causing an increasing number of breakthrough infections of fully inoculated people. 

"[The booster] would give stronger protection in general, including against the delta variant, by boosting antibody levels to a higher level than they are now," Moore said.

Some fear booster shots may increase vaccine hesitancy among those still wary of getting the first dose of the vaccine but most health officials believe the best way to fight this pandemic is by using every tool available.

"The priority remains nationally to get vaccine doses one and two into unvaccinated people because that they are the driver of the pandemic at the moment," Moore said.

When boosters become available to the general public in New York City, Dr. Dave Chokshi, the city's health commissioner, said vaccination teams will be ready.

"They will rely on the infrastructure that we have built up over the last several months and particularly the health care infrastructure," Chokshi said. "Those are the hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, as well as the additional city sites and mobile options and in-home vaccination that we've built up over the last few months." 

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