Coronavirus COVID-19 Vaccine

What is the difference between a third/additional dose and a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine?

The third/additional dose. People who are moderately to severely immunocompromised may not produce a robust enough immune response to the two-dose series of mRNA vaccine to be protective and therefore need a third/additional dose to complete their series and be fully vaccinated.

A booster dose is a dose that is needed after the protection of the initial series has lessened over time. A booster dose is recommended for certain groups of people described below to “boost” protection but unless someone is moderately to severely immunocompromised, they are still considered fully vaccinated after their initial series is complete. The CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.

ADDITIONAL DOSE INFORMATION:

THIRD/ADDITIONAL DOSE (Moderna or Pfizer): A third/additional dose administered to individuals who are immunosuppressed due to underlying medical conditions or immune-suppressing medications. For immunocompromised individuals, an additional dose of an mRNA vaccine should be given anytime 28 days after completion of their primary series and applies to those who received an initial Pfizer (age 5+) or Moderna (age 18+) dose. 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.

BOOSTER DOSE INFORMATION:

BOOSTER DOSE (Pfizer only): A single booster dose, to be administered at least five months (or at least three months for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised) after completion of the primary series for:

Individuals 65 years of age and older and long-term care facility residents;
Individuals 50-64 with underlying medical conditions. A list of medical conditions that increase the risk for severe disease are broad and can be found here;
Individuals 5-49 with underlying medical conditions
The CDC also recommends that individuals aged 5-64 years get a booster when eligible.

BOOSTER DOSE (Moderna only): A single booster dose, to be administered at least five months (or at least three months for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised) after completion of the primary series for:

Individuals 65 years of age and older and long-term care facility residents;
Individuals 50-64 with underlying medical conditions. A list of medical conditions that increase the risk for severe disease are broad and can be found here;
Individuals 18-49 with underlying medical conditions
The CDC also recommends that individuals aged 18-64 years get a booster when eligible.

BOOSTER DOSE (Johnson and Johnson's Janssen only): A single booster dose, to be administered at least two months after completion of the primary dose for everyone (18 years of age and older).

2nd BOOSTER DOSE INFORMATION:

Four months after receipt of a first booster dose of Pfizer BioNTch, Moderna, or Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), the following are now authorized and individuals may choose to receive:

A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older.
A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals 12 years of age and older.
A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine may be administered to moderately or severely immunocompromised individuals 18 years of age and older.

COVID-19 vaccination appointments are available for children ages 5-11.

Important vaccine appointment information:

Call 231-882-4409 to schedule an appointment.
Please bring an insurance card to the appointment.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Please cancel and do not attend the appointment if you or your child are quarantining or isolating due to COVID-19.
A mask must be worn appropriately at all times, covering the nose and mouth.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet for 5-11-year-olds

Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department

*Updated weekly