COVID-19: Vaccine Guidance for People Who Are Moderately or Severely Immunocompromised
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends updated COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older. DHS is revising our content to reflect this new guidance.
If you are moderately to severely immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system), you are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness and death. Your immune response to COVID-19 vaccination may not be as strong as in people who are not immunocompromised. As with vaccines for other diseases, you are protected best when you stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines. That means you should get all the COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended for you, when eligible.
Who is moderately or severely immunocompromised?
Many conditions and treatments can cause a person to be immunocompromised (having a weakened immune system). People are considered to be moderately to severely immunocompromised if they 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 two 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 their immune response
Talk to your healthcare provider about COVID-19 vaccination and your medical condition. If you don't have a health care provider, call 211. Language assistance is available.
You can self-attest to your moderately or severely immunocompromised status. This means that you do not need any documentation of your status in order to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses wherever they are offered.
Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines while moderately or severely immunocompromised
You are up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines when you have completed a primary series and, when eligible, received the most recent booster dose recommended for you. The recommendations will be different depending on your health status, your age, and which vaccine you received.
You can use the CDC's (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) COVID-19 booster tool to learn if and when you can get boosters to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccines.
If you are not moderately or severely immunocompromised, see the vaccine guidance for most people.
Children ages 6 months–11 years
Note: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use different age groups for their children’s vaccines.
Children 6 months–4 years old
First dose
Primary series (original, monovalent Pfizer vaccine)
Third dose
Primary series (updated, bivalent Pfizer vaccine)
At least eight weeks after your second dose
Up to date: two weeks after the last dose in your primary series (your third dose), since a booster is not currently recommended for children in this age group
Children 5–11 years old
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Three weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary series
At least eight weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated booster
At least two months after your third dose
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
Note: Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines use different age groups for their children’s vaccines.
Children 6 months–5 years old
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Four weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary series
At least four weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated Moderna Booster
At least two months after your third dose
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
Children 6–11 years old
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Four weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary series
At least four weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated booster
At least two months after your third dose
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
Children and teens ages 12-17 years
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Three weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary series
At least four weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your third dose or last booster
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Four weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary series
At least four weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your third dose or last booster
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Three weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your second dose
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
Adults ages 18 years or older
First dose
Primary series
Second dose
Primary series
Three weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary series
At least four weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your third dose or last booster
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
First dose
Primary Series
Second dose
Primary Series
Four weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Primary Series
At least four weeks after your second dose
Fourth dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your third dose or last booster
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
First dose
Primary Series
Second dose
Primary Series
Three weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your second dose
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are preferred over Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine in most situations, due to the risk of serious adverse events.
First dose
Primary Series
Second dose
Additional dose of Monovalent Pfizer or Moderna
At least four weeks after your first dose
Third dose
Updated Pfizer or Moderna Booster
At least two months after your second dose or last booster
Up to date: immediately after you have received the most recent booster dose recommended for you
Layers of protection
COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are important to help prevent COVID-19 hospitalizations and death. However, immunocompromised people may still have a reduced immune response. To stay protected against COVID-19, the Department of Health Services recommends all Wisconsinites continue to practice layered COVID-19 prevention strategies based on their COVID-19 Community Level and individual level of risk. This means it is still important for immunocompromised people to continue to follow current prevention measures (like wearing a mask and physical distancing) even after being up to date on COVID-19 vaccines.
You may also be eligible for Evusheld, a medicine given by a health care provider to help prevent you from getting COVID-19.