ALF Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine and CDC Updates

August 19th, 2021

As we enter another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with the rise of the Delta variant, the CDC has issued a number of recent recommendations and guidelines for vaccine usage. 

Earlier in the month, the CDC recommended vaccination for all people over 12 who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant, and those who are currently breastfeeding. 

Pregnant people and those who were recently pregnant have a slightly higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. A growing body of data suggests that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risk, and there has been no information to suggest that they are connected to any fertility issues in either men or women. Read more about this recommendation here.

Also, the CDC now recommends that certain immunocompromised individuals receive an additional dose of an mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine at least 28 days after the completion of the initial mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). The FDA has authorized an additional vaccine dose for these immunocompromised individuals. The Immunocompromised groups include those that have received a solid-organ transplantation or have been diagnosed with conditions that are considered to have an equivalent level of immunocompromise.

If you are considered immunocompromised, please speak to your doctor about an additional dose of the mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). 

Finally, the CDC announced this week in a joint statement with HHS that they recommended booster doses for all Pfizer and Moderna recipients. While still extremely effective, protection has been observed to diminish over time. Therefore, shots will be start to be offered the week of September 20th for those who’ve had the vaccine for at least eight months. You can read the statement here.

If you have any questions about COVID-19 and liver disease, please contact the American Liver Foundation’s Helpline at 1-800-GO-LIVER or visit the ALF COVID-19 Information Center.

Thank you for your continued vigilance. We will continue to provide additional updates on new developments in the days and weeks ahead. For additional information, please visit the CDC website: (https://www.cdc.gov/) and remember to give our helpline a call if you have questions about liver health and disease at 1-800-GO-LIVER.