The New York State Department of Health (DOH) provided new guidance on booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in response to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) amendment for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations.
The New York State guidance authorizes providers to give booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after completion of the primary series. Those eligible include:
- individuals 65 years of age and older
- residents 18 years of age and older in long-term care settings
- individuals 50 to 64 years of age with medical conditions that leave them at risk for severe COVID-19
- individuals 18 to 49 years of age who have certain medical conditions, based on their individual benefits and risks
- individuals 18 through 64 years of age at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting
Updated Screening Questions
New York State issued an updated screening checklist in response to updated guidance on booster doses. The screening checklist includes a question on whether the vaccine recipient is presenting for a third dose of an mRNA vaccine. If so, the provider should verify if this is a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine or an additional third dose for a person who is moderately to severely immunocompromised. If this is a booster dose, the provider should verify that the person received Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for their primary series, that it has been at least six months since the second dose, and that they have a qualifying condition.
If this dose is an additional third dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) for a person who is moderately to severely immunocompromised, there is a separate screening and consent form and a separate instruction document available for providers and these patients.
- COVID-19 Immunization Screening and Consent Form: Additional Dose for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised
- Information for Health Care Professionals about the Screening Checklist for the COVID-19 Vaccine: Additional Dose for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised
Additional Doses of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines for Immunocompromised Persons
Providers may continue to give third doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna) to individuals who are moderately or severely immunocompromised due to a medical condition or receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments. Please refer to a previous bulletin for details.