Do I Need To Register For My Second Third Or Booster Dose
Everyone needs to register once through the Get Vaccinated provincial registration system.
If you have already registered, you will be notified by email, text or phone call when it’s your turn to book an appointment for your next dose. You do not need a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated.
If you have not registered through Get Vaccinated, register now.
You may not have registered through the provincial Get Vaccinated provincial registration system once if:
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Learn about appointment timing on the BCCDC’s webpage.
A Third Or Extra Dose Is Different From A Booster
According to the US Department of Veteran Affairs, an “additional dose” of COVID-19 vaccine is for people who haven’t mounted a sufficient immune response to the first two doses . A booster shot, according to the VA, is for people whose immune response likely weakened over time.
Expanding on this logic, according to a Cleveland Clinic Q& A with Dr. Michelle Medina, third doses are what’s being given to folks whose immune systems likely won’t react as well to the current COVID-19 regimen , and boosters are given to everyone else when our immunity gradually wanes, due to new variants like delta, for example.
When the Food and Drug Administration authorized another COVID-19 shot for some immunocompromised people in August, it did so with an “additional vaccine dose” of Pfizer.
Dr. Reynold Panettieri, director and vice chancellor of the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science Professor of Medicine, says that deciphering a booster dose “depends on the vaccine and what is required to achieve maximum immunity.” And with all we don’t know about the coronavirus, and the way our bodies build immunity to it, it might not be appropriate to call any COVID-19 vaccine a “booster.” In fact, it might be too early to use the term “booster” at all, at least scientifically.
“We just don’t know with COVID if the term ‘booster’ is appropriate,” he says, adding that he prefers the use of “third dose.”
“Some of this is semantics,” Panettieri says.
Whats The Difference Between A Booster Shot And An Additional Dose
Although a booster shot and an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are two different things, they share the same purpose to protect people.
Booster shots and additional doses both terms seem to be used interchangeably however, they represent two different populations and their needs. Currently, a third dose of vaccine is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for those who are immunocompromised and have received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The CDC has not yet recommended booster shots at this time for the general population.
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Who Can Get A Booster
Recommended
- Everyone ages 5 years and older should get 1 booster after completing their COVID-19 vaccine primary series, if eligible.
Learn when you should get your 1st booster below.
Recommended
- Adults ages 50 years and older
- Some people ages 12 years and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised
Learn when you should get your 2nd booster below.
Does It Prevent Infection And Transmission

There is currently insufficient evidence available related to impact of Pfizer BioNTech vaccine on transmission or viral shedding.
In the meantime, we must maintain and strengthen public health measures that work: masking, physical distancing, handwashing, respiratory and cough hygiene, avoiding crowds, and ensuring good ventilation.
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Register With The Get Vaccinated Provincial Registration System To Be Notified When You Can Book Your Second Third Or Booster Dose Appointment
Register with the Get Vaccinated provincial registration system to get an invitation by email, text message or phone call to book your appointment for a second, booster or third dose if eligible.
B.C. is making plans to offer everyone 12+ a fall booster dose. For full protection, people age 12 and older will need a booster dose in the Fall. The Get Vaccinated provincial registration system will send you a personalized booking invitation this fall.
How Long Do Immunisations Take To Work
In general, the normal immune response takes approximately 2 weeks to work. This means protection from an infection will not occur immediately after immunisation. Most immunisations need to be given several times to build long-lasting protection.
A child who has been given only 1 or 2 doses of the DTPa vaccine is only partially protected against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis and may become sick if exposed to these diseases until they have all the doses they need. However, some of the new vaccines, such as the meningococcal ACWY vaccine, provide long-lasting immunity after only one dose.
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Is There Any Difference Between A Covid Booster And A Third Dose
ALBANY, N.Y. – People who were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer COVID vaccine can get a booster shot as of September 22. Those who got Moderna or Johnson & Johnsons vaccine must wait to see if the Food and Drug Administration will authorize one.
The FDA will be discussing the possibility of a Moderna booster on Thursday, and a J& J booster on Friday. Theyll be considering boosters for both shots for fully vaccinated people who are 18 or older.
Who Can Receive Covid
As per the CDC bulletin, the third or booster dose will be available for people who are considered mildly or severely immunocompromised. People under specific medications as recommended by the CDC can avail the booster shot since they might suffer from a decreased immune system. Here is a list of the categories under which people in the USA are eligible for the third dose:
1. People under active cancer or tumour treatment.
2. People who underwent an organ transplant and/or are taking medicines to suppress the immune system.
3. Have had a stem cell transplant in the last two years.
4. Diagnosed with Digeorge syndrome or Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.
5. Diagnosed with HIV or low CD4 count, including high dosage of steroids or other medications that may cause severe suppression of the immune system.
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Should Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women Be Vaccinated
Given the adverse consequences of COVID-19 disease during pregnancy and the increasing data supporting a favorable safety profile of BNT162b2 in pregnancy, WHO recommends the use of BNT162b2 in pregnant individuals. WHO does not recommend pregnancy testingprior to vaccination. WHO does not recommend delaying pregnancy or terminating pregnancy because of vaccination.
Vaccine effectiveness is expected to be similar in breastfeeding women as in other adults. WHO recommends the use of the vaccine in breastfeeding women as in other adults. WHO does not recommend discontinuing breastfeeding because of vaccination.
How Does Immunisation Work
The terms vaccination and immunisation dont mean quite the same thing. Vaccination is the term used for getting a vaccine that is, actually getting the injection or taking an oral vaccine dose. Immunisation refers to the process of both getting the vaccine and becoming immune to the disease following vaccination.
All forms of immunisation work in the same way. When someone is injected with a vaccine, their body produces an immune response in the same way it would following exposure to a disease but without the person getting the disease. If the person comes in contact with the disease in the future, the body is able to make an immune response fast enough to prevent the person developing the disease or developing a severe case of the disease.
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What Is The Difference Between A Booster And An Additional Dose
A COVID-19 booster is given when a person has completed their vaccine series, and protection against the virus has decreased over time. Depending on the original series you had, some details will vary. Please review the booster eligibility information above and talk to your health care provider if you are not sure if you meet these guidelines. Please note, if you receive the Moderna booster, you will receive half of the original Moderna dose.
An additional dose is administered to people with moderately to severely compromised immune systems. This additional dose is intended to improve immunocompromised peoples response to their initial vaccine series. Depending on the original series given, some details will vary. Please review the additional dose eligibility information and talk to your health care provider if you are not sure if you meet these guidelines.
If I Qualify For A Third Dose How Long Do I Need To Wait After My Second Dose Of An Mrna Vaccine Before Receiving An Additional Dose

If you have one of the above conditions, you are eligible to receive a third dose if:
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Here’s The Difference Between Covid
Angela Underwood’s extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder.
Book Your Appointments Online
If you or your child are aged 5 or over, you can book your additional primary dose or booster appointments online.
You’ll need to bring with you either:
- a letter from your GP or hospital specialist inviting you for an additional primary dose or booster
- a hospital letter that describes the condition or treatment that caused you to have a severely weakened immune system at the time of your 1st or 2nd dose
- a prescription or a medicine box with your name and the date showing when the medicine was prescribed this must show that you had a severely weakened immune system at the time of your 1st or 2nd dose
If you think youre eligible for an additional primary dose or booster but you do not have a suitable letter, prescription or medicine box, you may still be able to get your vaccination.
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How Long Do Immunisations Last
The protective effect of immunisations is not always lifelong. Some, like tetanus vaccine, can last up to 10 years depending on your age, after which time a booster dose may be given. Some immunisations, such as whooping cough vaccine, give protection for about 5 years after a full course. Influenza immunisation is needed every year due to frequent changes to the type of flu virus in the community.
Q: What Would Your Advice Be For People Who Are Eligible Right Now For A Third Dose
For immune-compromised folks who are now eligible to get their third dose, absolutely, we would recommend that you go ahead and schedule that and get yourself a third dose. But as is true for anybody else who happens to be vaccinated, we still have to maintain precautions. For folks who are immune-compromised, that is even more important. So they should continue to mask they should continue to practice good hand hygiene they should be careful about their environment and about being in large indoor gatherings. And if its possible, and theyre eligible, it would be good to advocate for vaccination of all the close contacts of a person whos immune-compromised. Anybody that they live with, anybody that theyre in touch with regularly, it would be good to also advocate for these folks to be vaccinated.
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Q: Can You Speak To How The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Fits Into All Of This That Was A One
Even when Johnson & Johnson was being developed, there was already thought around, Does it really need to be just one dose? Or do we need to think about two doses? Given the considerations that weve seen for the messenger RNA vaccines, Johnson & Johnson reviewed the data and conducted a study around what it will mean to have two doses, and how much more effective that will be compared to the single dose. Based on that data, the FDA determined it was necessary for everyone age 18 and up to receive a booster of that vaccine for better protection.
How To Get Your Covid
If you’re eligible, the NHS will usually invite you to get your additional primary dose or booster.
You may get a letter advising that you may be eligible and to discuss this with your doctor.
Your doctor will discuss with you how you can get your vaccine.
You’ll usually get vaccinated at your local hospital or a local NHS service such as a GP surgery.
If you think you’re eligible for an additional primary dose or a spring booster but have not been contacted, you can book a vaccination or find a walk-in site near you.
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Who Can Get A Covid
You can get a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose if:
- you are aged 16 years and over
- youve had 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and
- your second dose of COVID-19 vaccine was at least 3 months ago.
The Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is preferred for the booster dose in those aged 18 years and above.
For those aged 16 17 years, only the Pfizer vaccine should be used.
People should wait for 3 months after a confirmed COVID-19 infection before they get their next COVID-19 vaccine dose.
What Is An Additional Dose Of A Covid

- An additional dose, originally called a third dose, is given to people with moderately or severely compromised immune systems to improve their response to the initial vaccine series.
- The term third dose was used to refer to additional doses for the two mRNA vaccines, but now the term is additional dose because those who received a Johnson & Johnson one dose vaccine may also be eligible for a dose based on their immune systems.
- People with weakened immune systems might not develop enough immunity after vaccination with two doses of a vaccine. An additional dose, thus, might improve their protection against the novel coronavirus.
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Is It Safe To Get The Booster Vaccination With A Different Brand Of Vaccine
Both of the mRNA vaccines can be used for the booster vaccination. It does not matter which vaccine was used for previous vaccinations: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Janssen.A booster jab with a different brand than the first or second vaccination is not yet officially included in the package leaflets for the vaccines and in the EMA marketing authorisation. However, current research indicates that there is no difference in effectiveness or side-effects. The Health Council of the Netherlands has therefore advised that the vaccines can be combined for the booster vaccination.
Q: Why Might Some People Need The Third Dose
Its not dissimilar to how we have seen people react to different types of vaccines. Ill give you an example. The HPV, or Gardasil, vaccine, when we give it to teenagers before the age of 15, they only need two doses. Because when youre younger, it seems that you generate a very robust immune response to protect you against HPV. When youre older an older teen or a young adult after the age of 15 we actually give you three doses, for you to have sufficient immunity against HPV. The difference seems to be in the way that you would respond depending on your age. When youre younger, you seem to do better against HPV after only two doses of the vaccine. When youre older, you need an extra dose.
The same is true for people whose immune systems are suppressed or insufficient. After two doses of the messenger RNA vaccine, they generate a certain level of immunity. But it doesnt seem to be protective enough. We expect that the third dose will actually give them a higher level of immunity so that they can have the same level of protection as people who are healthy and only got two doses.
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I Had A Possible Allergic Reaction To My Last Covid
Please contact your GP. The GP may decide to give you a referral to an allergist, depending on the nature of the reaction that occurred during your last vaccination. The GP may also conclude that you can simply get a booster vaccination from the Municipal Public Health Services . If you are referred to an allergist, that specialist will assess whether you can get a booster vaccination and if so, where: in hospital or from the GGD.
Weighing The Benefits And Risks
Its important to recognize that some side effects from the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine are common and normal. If you experience mild to moderate side effects after the first dose, that doesnt mean you should skip the second dose.
Your immunity is incomplete , and it might not be effective. So you have more than likely wasted the first dose, if you dont get the second one in time, Dr. Waleed Javaid, an associate professor of infectious disease at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, he said.
If you have questions or concerns about the vaccine, Javaid recommends speaking with your healthcare provider.
He noted that its important to consider the potential benefits of the vaccine, as well as the potential risks.
Why are we getting the COVID vaccine to begin with? Because we are in a big pandemic. We know the real consequence of not having immunity to COVID, which can lead to somebodys death, Javaid told Healthline.
Injection site reactions, some aches and pains, some other potential side effects versus death. Thats the balance people have to think about, he said.
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