The Health Ministry has indicated that immunocompromised Jamaicans will be due an additional dose of COVID vaccine. The additional dose is different from the booster shot.

It is given, if persons who have received primary immunization, have not mounted an adequate response. These persons include transplant patients, patients with active cancers and some AIDS patients.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jacquiline Bisasor Mckenzie says advice from the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization, the SAGE Committee is that moderately and severely immunocompromised persons should be offered an additional dose of vaccine,  since they are less likely to respond adequately to standard primary vaccine series, and are at higher risk of severe COVID 19 disease.

The SAGE committee is the principal advisory group to the World Health Organization for vaccines and immunizations.

The CMO says the committee has not yet given a recommendation for the time intervals for the additional dose. However, some countries are using a six-month timeframe.

She is urging this segment of the population to liaise with their doctors, and for the doctors to contact the health departments.

Meantime the CMO  explains that boosters are given to persons who developed an immune response,  but over time the immune response waned.