Several members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices said immunocompromised people would benefit from a COVID-19 booster shot during the CDC panel's July 22 presentation.
ACIP doesn't have the regulatory authority to officially recommend a booster shot, but it presented data showing that a booster shot would help immunocompromised people fight off COVID-19.
Almost 3 percent of all U.S. adults are immunocompromised, including transplant recipients, some cancer survivors and people with HIV, according to the CDC. Vaccines often aren't as effective in immunocompromised people, as they require their immune system to be stimulated in order to protect them against disease.
The presenters discussed four small studies involving transplant and dialysis patients who did not develop antibodies after receiving their first two COVID-19 vaccine doses. After a third dose, 33 percent to 50 percent of them developed antibodies to fight COVID-19.