RI Now Offering Third Vaccine For Some Immunocompromised People

PROVIDENCE, RI — Health officials in Rhode Island are now offering booster doses of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines to certain immunocompromised residents, the Department of Health said.

State health officials started administering the third shot Saturday to those with moderate or severe immune deficiencies at the Sockanosset Crossroads vaccination site in Cranston and at hospital COVID-19 vaccination sites. Health department officials also said they expect the booster shots to be available at pharmacies in the coming days.

Booster vaccines in Rhode Island came after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gave their approval Thursday for certain immunocompromised patients to receive an additional Pfizer or Moderna shot. Those who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are not currently eligible for a booster.

Rhode Islanders eligible for a third vaccine are/have:

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies.
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy.
• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy).
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
• 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.

Residents can schedule an appointment to receive a booster vaccine at Sockanosset Crossroads through the state's vaccine portal.

State health officials said Rhode Island will rely on the honor system for boosters, rather than requiring people to provide documentation of their health status. There are about 35,000 Rhode Islands who currently qualify for a booster shot, according to state officials.

"Ample vaccine supply exists in Rhode Island to meet this new demand, and we have the infrastructure in place to move swiftly," Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. "For any eligible Rhode Islanders who have not yet gotten their first vaccine — it is time."