SIOUX CITY — Siouxland District Health Department is advising that moderately or severely immunocompromised people receive an extra dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, in accordance with new CDC recommendations.
A vial of the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19 is shown during a vaccine clinic in Sheldon, Iowa, in March.
This recommendation is based on emerging data that suggests some people with compromised immune systems do not always build up a strong immune response and may be less protected with the normal two-dose series. Recipients of organ or stem cell transplants, people with advanced or untreated HIV infection, active recipients of treatment for cancer, and people who are taking some medications that weaken the immune system are some of those who fall under this category.
Siouxland District Health Department Deputy Director Tyler Brock said Tuesday he doesn’t know how many immunocompromised people live in Woodbury County, but noted that about 3% of the country’s population falls under this new recommendation.
Brock said District Health has no plans to hold mass vaccination clinics for the immunocompromised.
“This is a fairly small number of people in the community, so a mass clinic is probably unnecessary, plus there’s vaccine in numerous places around town and we assume that people would rather get it at their convenience versus one day, one time, etc. Mass clinics were more important when there weren’t as many places offering vaccine, but now people can get vaccine whenever and wherever they want which is more convenient for them,” he said. “I’m also not sure it’s the greatest idea to make moderately or severely immunocompromised people come to a mass clinic with lots of people and potential exposures to COVID and other infections.”
