The Centers for Disease Control has issued revised guidance for COVID-19 vaccines, expanding the recommended time between the initial two vaccine doses.
New data indicates some people ages 12-64 – particularly men ages 12-39 – would benefit from getting their second COVID-19 vaccine dose eight weeks after their first shot. The previous recommendation was to wait at least three weeks between doses.
The change, extending the interval between doses from three weeks for the Pfizer vaccine or four weeks for Moderna, could increase the amount of time a patient is protected against COVID-19, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. It could also help lower the “small” risk of myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, or pericarditis, swelling of the tissue around the heart, that has been associated – mostly among adolescent and young adult males – with the vaccinations, ADPH said.
People who have already received their vaccines at the three or four-week intervals remain “well protected – especially if they have received a booster dose,” ADPH said.
Three- or four-week intervals are still recommended for some people, including those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised; are age 65 or older; or those who need early protection due to increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
People aged 12 and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised should receive three doses of their vaccine series as well as a booster at least three months after completing their initial vaccines.
