Third doses of COVID-19 vaccine available for some immunocompromised Rhode Islanders starting Saturday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – The Rhode Island Department of Health announced Friday that third doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will be available for some immunocompromised Rhode Islanders starting Saturday.

Only those who are considered moderately to severely immunocompromised are eligible for a third dose. Those Rhode Islanders include:

• Active treatment for solid tumor and hematologic malignancies 
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy 
• Receipt of CAR-T-cell or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy) 
• Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (e.g., DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome) 
• Advanced or untreated HIV infection 
• Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids (i.e., ≥20mg prednisone or equivalent per day), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, transplant-related immunosuppressive drugs, cancer chemotherapeutic agents classified as severely immunosuppressive, tumor-necrosis (TNF) blockers, and other biologic agents that are immunosuppressive or immunomodulatory. 

People can get third doses at the Sockanosset Crossroads vaccination site and at hospital vaccination sites. To schedule an appointment, visit vaccinateri.org or call 844-930-1779. RIDOH says they expect third doses to be available at pharmacies “in the coming days.”

This announcement does not pertain to people who received the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.