HHS Announces Plan to Begin Offering COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters in September

Posted on August 18, 2021 by Kari Everson

In a Joint Statement issued today, Health and Human Services (HHS) officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and other agencies announced plans to begin offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all Americans beginning the week of Sept. 20 and starting eight months after an individual’s second dose. 

“The available data make very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination,” the statement explains, and based on the latest assessment, “the current protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death could diminish in the months ahead, especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout.” For that reason the agencies have concluded that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.

The plan is subject to FDA conducting an independent evaluation and determination of the safety and effectiveness of a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines and CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) issuing booster dose recommendations. But the statement indicates that individuals who were vaccinated earliest in the vaccination rollout, including healthcare workers, nursing home residents and other seniors, will likely be eligible for a booster beginning in September and that HHS would begin to deliver booster shots directly to residents of long-term care facilities at that time.

HHS anticipates booster shots will likely also be needed for people who received the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine, but that analysis is still underway.

Today’s broad announcement comes on the heels of CDC recommendations released Monday for COVID-19 Vaccines for Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised People.

Individuals who experience moderate to severe immunocompromise or take immunosuppressant medications are more vulnerable to COVID-19 after vaccination. Because their bodies are compromised, they may not build up the same immunity to COVID after a vaccine series as others without immune system issues. Therefore, the CDC recommends that these individuals receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines after the initial two-dose series.

The CDC calls out explicitly individuals who have been receiving active cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, stem cell transplant recipients, moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (DiGeorge Syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome), advanced or untreated HIV infection, and/or active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response.

If you care for a resident who may have immunocompromise, talk to their primary care provider about whether or not another dose of mRNA vaccination is appropriate for them. The ACIP committee is reviewing data on immunity and additional vaccine dosing.

LeadingAge Minnesota staff are meeting with the Minnesota Department of Health on Aug. 19 to review these announcements and address key questions, including timing, prioritization, and planning for vaccine distribution and administration. We will provide updates as soon as we have additional information.