HOUSTON – Memorial Hermann announced that it will offer booster shots of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine in hospitals and clinics throughout the Greater Houston area to immunocompromised people who meet criteria set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The hospital said the FDA-approved Pfizer and Moderna’s booster shots will be available to these moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals:
Recommended Videos
- Those receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
- Organ transplant recipients and those who are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
- Those who have received a stem cell transplant within the last two years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
- Those with advanced or untreated HIV infection.
- Those undergoing active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress their immune response.
Memorial Hermann said it will begin administering the third dose to the general public the week of Sept. 20. These individuals can get their booster shot eight months after receiving their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Memorial Hermann said more details will be shared on this process as the date gets closer.
First doses of the now FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine are available at its walk-in clinics for residents in the Houston area.
To schedule an appointment at a Memorial Hermann vaccine clinic, please complete the online COVID-19 Vaccine Request Form. At this time, you may also receive an additional dose or a booster shot without an appointment at any of the Memorial Hermann walk-in clinics.
“This vaccine is a great tool for preventing serious illness or hospitalization from COVID-19,” said Annamaria Macaluso Davidson, M.D., vice president of Employee Health Medical Operations for Memorial Hermann Health System. “We have seen the safety and efficacy of the Pfizer vaccine over the past nine months, and this is an important step that will hopefully help additional people feel more comfortable to get vaccinated.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the authorization of an additional dose or booster shot does not apply to individuals who received the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.