JACKSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Following the Ohio Department of Health's approval for local health providers to administer a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to immunocompromised individuals, the Stark County Health Department will begin administering the third dose of Pfizer on Tuesday.
The third dose of Moderna will not be offered at the Stark County Health Departments, a release stated.
Residents who have met the eligibility guidelines and have completed their second dose of the vaccination series 28 days ago must schedule an appointment through ArmorVax.com, the ArmorVax app or by calling 330-451-1681.
“We continue our fight against COVID-19 and its variants. This extra dose will help those immunocompromised individuals who are at heightened risk for serious outcomes from COVID-19,” said Health Commissioner Kirkland Norris in a news release.
The health department said the additional doses should not be confused with booster doses. At this time, additional booster doses are not authorized or recommended for anyone based upon waning immunity over time.
The need for and timing of COVID- booster dose has not been established, according to the FDA.
"The Ohio Department of Health has said that the purpose of the additional dose is to strengthen the immune response when the initial immune response to the primary two-dose vaccine series is likely to be insufficient, according to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)," the health department said.
The CDC has further defined this eligible population to include:
• Individuals undergoing active treatment for cancer (solid tumor and hematologic malignancies).
• Individuals who have received a solid-organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive therapy.
• Individuals who have received a CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of
transplant or taking immunosuppression therapy).
• Individuals with moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, WiskottAldrich syndrome).
• Individuals with advanced or untreated HIV infection.
• Individuals undergoing 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.
RELATED: CDC advisory committee recommends 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised
Visit our Vaccinating Ohio page for the latest updates on Ohio's vaccination program, including links to sign up for a vaccine appointment, a map of nearby vaccination sites, a detailed breakdown of the state's current vaccine phase, and continuing local coverage of COVID-19 vaccines in Northeast Ohio.
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