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Cone Health begins administering 4th COVID-19 shots to immunocompromised patients

Cone Health Clinical Manager Steven Marshall said they started giving the fourth dose to people who are eligible the day the CDC's new recommendations came out.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Under the guidance from the CDC, people who are immunocompromised or with weakened immune systems could get a 4th dose of the COVID vaccine as early as this week. 

News 2 found out extra doses are already scheduled at Cone Health. Cone Health Clinical Manager Steven Marshall said they started giving the fourth dose to people who are eligible the day the CDC's new recommendations came out. It reveals only those who are immunocompromised are eligible right now. It also reveals those who took Moderna or Pfizer can get the 4th dose five months after their most recent vaccination. Experts said you should ask your doctor if you qualify. 

"Immunocompromised conditions such as autoimmune diseases, HIV, patients that have recently undergone chemotherapy that would affect their immune system, certain arthritis treatments affect the immune systems. Any of the infusions that are given to treat chronic conditions can result in some degree of immunocompromise," said Marshall.

Last week, the CDC expanded booster shot eligibility for 12 to 17-year-olds. Marshall said at Cone Health, 18 to 20 percent of patients at mobile clinics are in this age group.

"The rest of them are above that. We are seeing quite a few patients in the 20's to 40's and then on the other end of the spectrum is our 50's and 60's they have gone through the whole series with their boosters because they were able to get vaccinated earlier," said Marshall. 

Marshall said more teenagers have gotten boosted over the last couple of weeks. He believes the numbers will keep rising in the weeks ahead.

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