I'm confused on Moderna 3rd shot

[Katinfl]

Made an online appointment at Publix (in FL) for the 3rd shot and we get there and are told that we need to be immunocomprised to get the shot. They had all the paperwork ready but we were told that unless we had one of several criteria met, we could not get it at this time because it had not been approved by the FDA or CDC at this time. My husband and myself are not immunocomprised (thankfully) but we are 74 years old and we thought we were OK based on our ages. We each got our 2nd dose in Feb. so we certainly met the timeline. We were told that authorization could come by Nov. 1 but they were not exactly sure. We feel that we should not have been able to go ahead and make an appointment. BTW, we could have lied and told the pharmacist that we were immunocomprised and be done with it, but we did not. Which brings up the question……..how would anyone know if you were comprised or not? Like I said, we meet the criteria by our ages. Very confusing and not very helpful when you are trying to convince the hold-outs to get their 1st shot. Any information would be appreciated. Did I mention…….I am in FL. Don’t know if that would have anything to do with it.

[Walleye]

1. When I got my third Pfizer shot I checked the box for cancer survivor. Nobody asked me to prove it

[gab13by13]

5. The criteria that I got regarding cancer

was that I had to be undergoing current cancer treatment to be eligible. Wife and I are both cancer survivors and we don't qualify.

[gab13by13]

2. I am also 74 and not immune compromised.

I went on line to the pharmacy where I got my 1st 2 shots and they gave me the same information that you got. I must be immune compromised to be eligible for the 3rd shot. I am in Pa.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. FDA recommended the booster, but CDC has not yet approved.

https://abc7ny.com/cdc-booster-shots-moderna-johnson-and-j/11139757/


NEW YORK (WABC) -- A CDC panel will meet this week to discuss recommendations for Moderna and Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine boosters.

The meetings come after after an FDA advisory panel made its recommendations last week.

[KarenS]

6. Thank you I was looking this up,,,,

I don't believe they make the process clear enough for all of us to understand,,,,,

[SheltieLover]

4. 3rd Moderna not yet approved

FDA just began consideration last week.

[hlthe2b]

7. Here is what you don't understand. The FDA decision is the first step. ACIP-CDC must make

the final recommendation before it can go into effect, which should occur Oct 20-21. If ACIP agrees with FDA then those over 65 will be eligible FOR A HALF DOSE regardless, and those younger IF they have an immunocompromising condition putting them at higher risk.

You are just premature. They can not go with just the FDA recommendation. It must be finalized before they are "covered" in administering a booster of any vaccine--but especially one under emergency authorization.

Sit tight. It is coming soon.

[Katinfl]

13. I understand what you are saying

But I know 2 people that got their 3rd Moderna at least 3 weeks ago, before it was even approved by the FDA. They said they just went to the neighborhood Publix and got it. They may be compromised, I don’t know, and they are re over 65+. Like I said, this was before the approval. We are still going to get the 3rd, just confused with the guidelines.

[hlthe2b]

14. Those providers are doing so against recommendations and face repercussions in doing so...

including the possibility of being blocked from further vaccine access--at least in states with active health departments overseeing their vaccination programs.

That some do so, is not unexpected but it is no more appropriate than those who fill thousands of out-of-state ivermectin prescriptions with nary a glance.

[lark]

8. I'm in FL and have had the same exact experience.

All the pharmacies say they aren't giving the Moderna boosters to anyone except immune-compromised. Boo! I really struggled when I had regular Covid, H2O kept going really low. I barely stayed out of the hospital AND I'm 69 years old, but so far here, it's all a NO for me and the booster. Damn!

Well based on another post I just saw - hopefully this is getting approved this week. I'm just a little freaked by the Colin Powell thing and want to be as fully protected as possible.

[Haggard Celine]

9. If you had told them you had an immune system condition,

they would have given it to you, and they wouldn't (or shouldn't ) have asked any more questions. I think being in your 70s should be enough of a reason to get the shot.

My mom had cancer and they said she was eligible, but not my dad. They're both about your age. My dad told them that since they live together, it just made sense to vaccinate him, too. After all, whatever he gets is likely to be spread to my mom as well. They relented and gave him a shot.

I don't know if it makes a difference that they got the Pfizer shot. I got the Moderna shot and they gave me my third since I have a couple of conditions that would put me more at risk if I got the virus. They aren't supposed to ask you what your condition is. They should only ask if you have at least one of the conditions on the list.

If you go on the first of November, I think it would be a good idea to go ahead and get your shot. I don't know about Florida, but it isn't like people are banging down the door to get their shots around here. It's unlikely you'll be stealing someone else's place in line.

[hlthe2b]

10. Not moderna. It has not yet been authorized until ACIP-CDC meets on October 20-21.

[Haggard Celine]

11. I got the Moderna third shot weeks ago.

I don't think they call it a booster, technically, but it's a third shot. I was told that it's basically the same thing as came in the first Moderna shot. I don't know how the Pfizer booster differs from the previous two shots.

[hlthe2b]

12. They were not authorized to do so.

Providers do so at their own risk, including the potential loss of vaccine access.

[Haggard Celine]

15. Hmm. Didn't know that.

They told me that if I had one or more of the conditions on the list that I could get it. But they did tell me that it was technically not a booster. Not a lot of people would have qualified for it, so they probably decided it wouldn't really hurt to give us more of the same shot, and it might save our lives. I'll be curious to see how the Moderna booster differs from it.

[hlthe2b]

16. What they told you was ONLY true of the Pfizer vaccine. Not to mention the 3rd Moderna will

very likely be a HALF dose (for multiple manufacturer-provided data-driven reasons which include decreasing adverse vaccine reactions).

Those doing so NOW are undoubtedly NOT reducing the dose.

As to the comment about a third dose not being a "booster," what they are trying very inartfully to say is that for those who ARE immunocompromised, it is not considered a booster because data now shows the immunocompromised need a more rigorous PRIMARY series of vaccines to stimulate even minimally adequate immunity (and for which recommendations for further boosters thereafter will come as more data comes in). That is not the case with the rest of the population for which a third dose IS considered a booster dose.

[Haggard Celine]

18. Okay, well thanks for the explanation.

Looks like the people giving out the shots at my pharmacy don’t know much about them, or at least that they aren’t very good at explaining things.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

17. What was on the list?

[Haggard Celine]

21. There are several things on the list.

https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/14,23699,420,976.html

Scroll down to “third vaccine doses,” and then “qualifying conditions” below that. It’ll list cancer, AIDS, stem cell transplants, etc.

[I_UndergroundPanther]

22. Good, I qualify

Got diabeties.

I was scared because get covid with diabeties and the risk of dying from it shoots up to the sky.

[Haggard Celine]

23. Me too.

I'm fat, also, and I still smoke sometimes. Got to quit that shit!

[Elessar Zappa]

24. I got my third Moderna last month.

They gave it to me due to cystic fibrosis. I did have to fill out a form.

[hlthe2b]

25. Fine but they did so unauthorized and could have faced repercussions.

I don't doubt for a moment this happens, but they can lose their ability to procure vaccines in the future if their practice is identified.

Sometimes it occurs due to lack of understanding, poor training, or poor oversight. But no vaccine--especially those under emergency approval--should be administered outside the ACIP-CDC guidelines. The Pfizer was approved for the 3rd dose you sought. Moderna was not. And this is especially an issue given it appears that even Moderna wants the 3rd dose to be a HALF dose based on its own data and to avoid any increase in adverse reactions. My guess is you received the full dose. since that would not have been known to them

Serious issues can occur when providers do this kind of thing. This clinic learned the hard way (and they are not the only one):

Colorado health department pauses COVID-19 vaccinations at Colorado Springs site
CDPHE said it halted a vaccination effort after an inspection revealed the clinic had failed to comply with storage protocols.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/colorado-health-department-pauses-covid-19-vaccination-el-paso-county-site/73-2997c613-c7a0-4e3f-ad62-1eebc5ff40e3

[Irish_Dem]

19. I think drug stores are scheduling appts for those not eligible on purpose.

I went with a friend to CVS who had the same experience as you did. And it was clear the drug store staff wanted her to just say she had an illness, they even told her the exact question she had to say yes too, and circled it in red for her, so she could get the Moderna booster.

I wondered if they had a lot of surplus vaccine and needed to push it before it expired.

[rsdsharp]

20. I got the booster last Thursday. When I signed up of an appointment

I was asked which shot I wanted. I scrolled down the list and checked “third.” This triggered a list of eligibility questions and a box to check that I qualified. 65 or over wasn’t one of the qualifications, so I called the pharmacy and explained. They told me to just say I qualified and they’d give me the shot. In other words, lie.

So I went back, scrolled to third, and noticed their was a category below that — “booster.”. I checked that, and 65 and older popped up on the list of qualified recipients. How a third shot is different than a booster is beyond me, but it was in this case.

You might check to see if they are differentiating between the third shot and the booster.