A complete vaccine series for solid organ transplant recipients (5 years and up) involves three doses of COVID-19 vaccine (the general public gets a 2-dose series). This is because there is evidence that three doses of vaccine offer better protection for people who are immunocompromised. A three-dose series is safe and recommended for transplant recipients.
Transplant recipients (12 years and up) should also get a booster dose of COVID-19 vaccine approximately six months after the third dose of the initial vaccine series. This means you should receive a total of four doses (four shots) of COVID-19 vaccine.
The booster is in addition to your third dose of vaccine.
How to get your third dose and your booster: You will be contacted by the
provincial Get Vaccinated system about how and when to receive each vaccine dose and your booster. If you believe you meet the criteria for a third dose and haven't been contacted, get in touch with your health care provider. Visit the
provincial website for more information.
Third doses and boosters are safe and provide additional protection to transplant recipients; however, it is not known exactly how much additional protection a third dose will provide. Protection is still not likely the same as for people who are not immunocompromised (general population). Evidence suggests that it will improve protection from COVID-19 infection and – most importantly – from severe disease.
You will still need to be vigilant and continue to assess your own level of risk tolerance for choosing activities and interactions within the guidelines set out by Public Health.