COVID-19 Vaccine Information

The CDC currently has ONLY approved a 3rd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for immunocompromised individuals based on the criteria below. A 3rd dose (booster) is not approved for the general public.

You will be required to sign an attestation that you meet the criteria below and show your vaccine card.

3rd Dose Requirements:

1. It has been at least 28 days after receiving your second vaccine shot.

2. You are moderately to severely immunocompromised due to one of the following reasons ONLY:

• Solid organ transplant
• Diagnosed with a condition or currently receiving medication therapy that is considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.

Examples include:

– Active or recent treatment of solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.

– Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppresive therapy.

– Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy).

– Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g. DiGeorge, Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes).

– Advanced or untreated HIV infection.

– Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e. ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory.

Yes. The vaccine is recommended for people who previously have been infected with COVID-19. Vaccination of persons with current SARS-CoV-2 infection should be deferred until the person has recovered and they can discontinue isolation. While there is no minimum interval between infection and vaccination, current evidence suggests reinfection is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. Persons with documented acute SARS-CoV-2 infection in the preceding 90 days may delay vaccination until near the end of this period, if desired.

At this time, the Pfizer vaccine is authorized under the EUA for people aged 12 and older. The Moderna vaccine is authorized under the EUA for people age 18 and older.

COVID-19 vaccines do not contain live virus, which means they cannot give someone COVID-19. Additionally, recipients of the vaccine are not contagious and cannot spread COVID-19.

It is possible for someone to be infected with COVID-19 prior to receiving the vaccine and thus they would be contagious as any other person infected with COVID-19 and could still test positive on a COVID-19 diagnostic PCR, or rapid test. An uninfected vaccine recipient however would not test positive on a PCR or rapid test but could test positive on an antibody-based test.

It is important to understand which vaccine you are receiving. The majority of the vaccines will require two doses.

When you receive your first dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine at Wise Health System, you will receive information about scheduling your second dose.

Rest assured that second doses of the vaccine will be guaranteed and will not be tied to any other allocations received by Wise Health System.

You will receive an appointment for your second COVID-19 vaccination when you receive your first. If you are unsure of when your second vaccine appointment is, you have missed your appointment or you need to schedule a second vaccination as you have received your first at another location, please call 940-489-4302.

Pfizer/ BioNTech: Approximately 21 days after receiving first dose

Moderna: Approximately 28 days after receiving first dose

Depending on the vaccine you receive, there may be a 21-28 days between the first and second dose. When you receive the first dose, it is important that you wait for the designated time and then get the second dose. The effectiveness of the vaccine is highest when the doses are spaced appropriately. Information will be provided to everyone who receives the COVID-19 vaccine to ensure they receive the correct second dose at the right time.