INDIANAPOLIS — People with weakened immune systems can now get an extra dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at any Meijer pharmacy in the Midwest.
Meijer's announcement comes after U.S. regulators authorized an extra dose of the vaccine for immunocompromised people to better protect themselves as the delta variant rapidly spreads.
Those who are eligible for a third dose include transplant recipients, cancer patients, some people with HIV, among others.
Meijer will be offering a third dose of Moderna and Pfizer vaccines at all of its pharmacies. Meijer currently operates 257 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.
It will not be offering an additional shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration's emergency use authorization for an additional dose of the vaccine doesn't apply to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of a lack of available information, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
People who are eligible and want to get a third dose of the vaccine can text COVID to 75049 to make an appointment or walk into any Meijer pharmacy to receive their third dose.
Meijer said those individuals will need to report their immunocompromised status via a screening questionnaire before receiving a third dose.
The CDC recommends administering the same vaccine as the patient’s original series whenever possible.
