This news item expired on Friday, November 5, 2021 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Based on recommendations of the CDC, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services announced that North Carolinians who are moderately to severely immunocompromised and received the Moderna or Pfizer immunizations could begin receiving an additional dose of these immunizations to better protect themselves from COVID-19. Currently, the CDC recommendation for an additional dose 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
Individuals must attest that they qualify for the additional dose by having a condition or taking a medication that causes them to be moderately to severely immunocompromised.
Buncombe County Health and Human Services will administer these doses at our walk-in clinic at 40 Coxe and at mobile outreach events. Additional doses can be secured at any vaccine provider, and individuals do not need to go back to where they got their original doses. This recommendation does not include individuals who received the J&J immunization at this time.