Greetings from Mercy Health – Clermont Hospital! Given the recent spike of Delta variant infections, I thought I would discuss COVID-19 vaccines this month.

Third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have become a popular topic, so how do you know if you are immunocompromised and need a third dose?

Right now, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that people who have a moderate to severe weakened immune system get a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to the CDC, you are likely to have a weakened immune system if you have:

· Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood

· Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system

· 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)

· Advanced or untreated HIV infection

· Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

Why might immunocompromised people need another dose of the COVID-19 vaccine? Studies have shown that this population may not create the necessary amount of antibodies to protect themselves from COVID-19 until they receive that third dose.

If you think that you have a weakened immune system, talk with your doctor for guidance on whether a third dose is right for you. If eligible, your physician can direct you to the best place to receive a third dose.

If you haven’t yet started your vaccination series, I’d like to ask you to reconsider. It’s heartbreaking and very saddening for our great team of caregivers to see the number of very sick people we have in our hospital who have not been vaccinated. The great majority of people we are caring for today with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. While the vaccine may not keep you from getting COVID-19, it’s your best protection against dying or being hospitalized, needing rehabilitation and experiencing the long-lasting and debilitating symptoms that have come to be known as long COVID. Please talk with your doctor about the benefits of vaccination.

Stay safe and be well.