COVID-19 Vaccine Update: FDA Approval & Boosters
Dear UTRGV Family,
Yesterday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This announcement marks a major milestone in our fight against the virus, as having an FDA-approved vaccine instills even greater confidence in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines we have been administering to protect you and others across the Rio Grande Valley.
How the FDA’s approval affects the ability of Texas public institutions to mandate the vaccine remains unclear, and we will provide updates as soon as we have information to share.
Initial Doses for the Unvaccinated
For everyone who is still not yet vaccinated, this encouraging news is another reason to get vaccinated now. If you are currently unvaccinated and are ready to take your shot, you can get your first dose by:
- Walking in or scheduling an appointment at a UT Health RGV Primary Care Clinic
- Walking in or scheduling an appointment at any Student or Employee Health Clinic in Brownsville, Edinburg, or Harlingen, or
- Calling 1-833-UTVACN8 (1-833-888-2268) to schedule an appointment
With full FDA approval for use in people aged 16 and older, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will now be referred to and marketed as "Comirnaty," though it will still be given in two doses, three weeks apart. This vaccine, which has been saving lives since last year, continues to be administered as a two-dose vaccine to children aged 12 to 15 under emergency use authorization (EUA).
Additional Doses for the Immunocompromised
Both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna’s vaccines were recently granted an EUA as a third dose to boost protection in certain immunocompromised people and are now available to such individuals at the recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC).
Following this new guidance, UT Health RGV is now offering moderately to severely immunocompromised students, faculty, and staff an additional (third) dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines at any UT Health RGV Student or Employee Health Clinic in Brownsville, Edinburg, or Harlingen. You will be asked to attest that you are immunocompromised prior to receiving the additional dose.
You may qualify for an additional dose if you have:
- Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood
- Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system
- Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)
- Advanced or untreated HIV infection
- Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response
COVID-19 Booster Shots
While the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has plans to provide all fully vaccinated adults with COVID-19 booster shots starting September 20, the FDA has only authorized a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) for certain immunocompromised people (see above).
Additionally, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has stated that it does not yet recommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population but is prepared to do so after thoroughly reviewing the data. However, recent statements from our nation’s leading health experts indicate that such recommendations may prescribe a third dose no sooner than 8 months after receiving the second dose. Until then, those who are fully vaccinated continue to be widely protected against infection and serious illness, including against the highly contagious Delta variant. For more about COVID-19 boosters, including FAQs, visit the CDC’s COVID-19 Booster Shot page.
Rest assured, we will continue to provide you with timely updates regarding the rollout of the COVID-19 booster shots and when you should get it, as such directions are shared by federal and state officials. When the time comes, we strongly encourage you to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster from an authorized provider nearest you.
Thank you for your continued trust in UT Health RGV throughout this unprecedented vaccination effort.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Hocker, Dean of the School of Medicine
Dr. Michael Dobbs, Chief Medical Officer