Here’s who the CDC says may need more than one dose of the new COVID-19 vaccine

Lisa Riley Roche
·2 min read
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Nurse Aydan Elzinga prepares a COVID-19 booster shot at the Kearns Library in Kearns on Sept. 29, 2022.
Nurse Aydan Elzinga prepares a COVID-19 booster shot at the Kearns Library in Kearns on Sept. 29, 2022. | Ben B. Braun, Deseret News

A single dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine may not be enough protection for everybody, according to dosage recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In mid-September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC signed off on anyone 6 months and older being able to get the new vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna that now targets a recent variant of the virus.

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But CDC guidelines spell out that young children and those who are immunocompromised may need additional shots, depending on their vaccination history. Here’s what the CDC is telling health care providers:

Children aged 6 months to 4 years old who:

  • Have not been vaccinated before against COVID-19 should receive either two doses of Moderna or three doses of Pfizer updated vaccine.

  • Previously received Pfizer or Moderna vaccine need one or two doses of either Moderna or Pfizer updated vaccine, depending on the number of prior doses.

People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised who:

  • Have not been vaccinated before against COVID-19 should receive a three-dose series of Moderna or Pfizer updated vaccine.

  • Previously received Pfizer or Moderna vaccine need one or two doses of either Moderna or Pfizer updated vaccine, depending on the number of prior doses.

  • Get the updated vaccine may also receive one or more additional updated doses.

Last year’s COVID-19 booster shot that was formulated to go after the original strain of the coronavirus as well as a pair of newer variants, is no longer recommended for use in the United States, the CDC said.

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There have been issues with getting the updated vaccine in Utah and around the country, with the region’s largest health care provider, Intermountain Health, not yet able to even order a supply of the shots.

With what’s been called a “dramatic” climb in COVID-19 in recent weeks, Utahns are being advised to get the updated vaccination as soon as they can, along with an annual flu shot that can be given at the same time.