Immunocompromised individuals have been advised to get a fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to updated guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Those who are above the age of 18 and are moderately or severely immunocompromised may need an additional shot six months after they have received the third dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, said the CDC in its Tuesday update.
The fourth dose may be of any of the three available vaccines, including Janssen. Moderately to severely immunocompromised people include those with existing conditions such as cancer, recipients of organ transplants or those being treated for HIV, among others.
According to data from the CDC, about 9 million individuals living in the US fall in this category. Earlier in August, the agency had authorised the use of a third dose booster for this category of people.
The CDC had last week approved booster shots for all Americans that can be different from the vaccines they initially received.