ORLANDO, Fla. — People whose health makes them most vulnerable to COVID-19 are now getting a fourth vaccine dose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending additional doses for the immunocompromised, and that option is now rolling out in Central Florida.
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Liver transplant recipient Brenda Straub received her fourth shot last Friday at an Orlando Publix. She said she’s determined to be as armed as she can be against COVID-19.
“I mean we’re in a fight that we’ve never been in before. This is uncharted waters,” Straub said.
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Twelve years after a lifesaving liver transplant, the threat of COVID-19 is a constant concern for the longtime real estate agent.
“I assume after five months with my liver transplant and my immune suppressants I’m probably low on antibodies,” Straub said.
READ: Coronavirus: CDC updates mask recommendations
So the 71-year-old didn’t hesitate to get a fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine as soon as she heard she could.
The CDC’s latest guidance directs people with a weakened immune system to get an additional primary shot once they complete the initial two Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and five months after that, a fourth shot, considered as the actual booster, is now recommended.
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Hospital data continues to show that the highest proportion of breakthrough cases — and often, intensive care unit stays — are transplant recipients.
Anyone considering this fourth dose is advised to talk to their health care provider to discuss what’s best for them.
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