Q. Which nation has approved extra COVID-19 vaccine dose for people with weakened immunity?
(a) Russia
(b) China
(c) Australia
(d) US
Answer.
(d) US
Solution.
US regulators said transplant recipients and others with weakened immune systems can get an extra dose of the Covid-19 vaccine to better protect them as the delta variant continues to surge.
US regulators said transplant recipients and others with severely weakened immune systems can get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna Covid vaccine to better protect them as the delta variant continues to surge.
The announcement by the Food and Drug Administration applies to several million Americans who are especially vulnerable due to organ transplants, certain cancers, or other disorders. Several other countries, including France and Israel, have similar recommendations.
It’s harder for vaccines to strengthen an immune system suppressed by certain medications and diseases, so those patients don’t always get the same protection as otherwise healthy people — and small studies suggest for at least some, an extra dose may be the solution.
The FDA determined that transplant recipients and others with a similar level of compromised immunity can receive a third dose of the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna at least 28 days after getting their second shot. The FDA made no mention of immune-compromised patients who received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
