Immunosuppressed people: CIQ recommends a third dose of the vaccine

On Monday, the Quebec Immunization Committee (CIQ) recommended a third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine be given to immunosuppressed people on dialysis.

“This additional dose should be considered as a boost to the base vaccination and not as a booster dose,” the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ) wrote on Twitter.

According to INSPQ, the procedure will hardly affect 1 to 2% of the population. For example, it may apply to people who have had an organ transplant or who are receiving chemotherapy.

“It often happens that these people don’t respond to the first two doses because of a medical condition that affects their immune system,” says Dr. Nicholas Brusso, MD, INSPQ and CIQ chief.

Those eligible for the third dose of the vaccine must be vaccinated within four weeks of the second dose.

Currently, the recommendation does not affect residents of CHSLDs.

The document states that “Quebec’s strategy of extending the time between the two doses beyond the periods recommended by vaccine manufacturers favored better protection.”