The CVS
Pharmacy in the Target in Farmingdale is one of the places offering the third
shots.
The move comes
hours after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory panel
unanimously approved additional doses of vaccines for certain people with
compromised immune systems.
About 9
million people in the U.S. are considered immune compromised due to an
underlying condition or medication they are taking. They include people who've
had a transplant, undergone cancer treatment and those with HIV.
Recent studies
show many people with immunocompromised systems can have a weak response to the
standard vaccine regimen of two shots. Those same studies found a third dose
results in a higher response and better protection against the virus for those
patients.
CVS says people can schedule third dose vaccination appointments on its website. A spokesperson said people will be required to show proof of their eligibility during the scheduling process and when they get the third dose.
The third doses are only for those who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The CDC recommends that you stick with the same vaccine you originally received.
A third dose is something entirely different from a COVID-19 booster shot, which has not been approved by the FDA or CDC. Infectious disease experts say booster shots will likely be available to the general public down the road.
“We believe sooner or later, you will need a booster for durability of protection,” says Dr. Anthony Fauci.
A booster acts as a supplement for those who have already mounted an immune response from the vaccine’s initial two-shot sequence. The CDC says immunity from some vaccines can wear off, and at that point, a booster dose is needed to bring immunity levels back up.
Dr. Fauci says tests are being evaluated on a weekly basis to see when a booster shot will be needed.
“This is a dynamic process, and the data will be evaluated,” he says. “The one thing that we are doing is we are preparing for the eventuality of doing that if the data shows us that we do need to do that, we will be ready to do it and do it expeditiously.”
Long Islanders appear divided over getting an extra dose with some saying they will take it if it helps them and others saying they don’t want it affecting their system.