Should Immunocompromised People Get Booster Shots? What the Experts Say

According to Dr. Robert Bollinger, professor of infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and founding member of emocha Health, due to a weakened immune system, immunocompromised patients are at higher risk of serious illness from many infectious diseases.

“In addition, some immunocompromised patients also have weaker responses to many available vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines,” Bollinger told Healthline.

He emphasized that immune-compromised patients are at greater risk of not only more severe COVID-19 illness but also “breakthrough infection,” which could lead to hospitalization or death.

Bollinger noted that while hospitalization or death are extremely rare among the fully vaccinated, “When they do occur, these rare severe breakthrough infections are more likely in immunocompromised patients. This is another reason why getting vaccinated is important.”