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Third dose of COVID-19 vaccine recommended for immunocompromised Nunavummiut

Third dose to be given at least 28 days after second
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A third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine is now recommended to immunocompromised individuals in Nunavut. (Image courtesy CDC)

The territorial Department of Health, in response to new recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations, is recommending a third dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine for Nunavummiut who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.

As a result, third doses are now available from an authorized physician or nurse practitioner and will be given at least 28 days after receiving the second dose of either of Nunavut’s approved vaccines: Pfizer and Moderna.

Individuals who are 12 years of age or older who have one of the following conditions will be authorized to get a third dose:

-Active treatment for solid tumor or hematologic malignancies

-Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy

-Receipt of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within two years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy)

-Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency (DiGeorge, Wiskott-Aldrich syndromes)

-Stage three or advanced untreated HIV infection, and those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

-Active treatment of the following categories of immunosuppressive therapies: anti-B cell therapies, high-dose systemic corticosteroids, alkylating agents, antimetabolites, or tumor-necrosis factor inhibitors and other biologic agents that are significantly immunosuppressive.