All of Rhode Island Now Considered Medium-Risk Area

Providence, Bristol, Kent, Newport, and Washington Counties are now considered medium-risk areas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Community Levels risk assessment. CDC determines risk level using three metrics: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.

CDC determines risk level using three metrics: new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past seven days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past seven days.

If you are in a medium-risk area, RIDOH recommends taking additional precautions, including:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

• If you are immunocompromised or high risk, have a plan for testing and talk to your healthcare provider about protecting yourself.

• If you have household or social contact with someone at high risk, consider self-testing and wearing a mask when indoors with them.

• When indoors in crowded settings, consider wearing a mask regardless of vaccination status. This is especially important for people who are immunocompromised.

• Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

If you test positive:

• Talk to your doctor about treatment

• Stay home and use this calculator to determine how long you need to quarantine or isolate

• Use the RIDOH COVID-19 Survey to let people you were with know you tested positive.

• If you test yourself for COVID-19 at home, report your result to RIDOH at portal.ri.gov/s/selftest.

CDC’s full set of recommendation is available online.

Pfizer Booster Doses Now Available at 5 Months After Primary Series, Additional Primary Dose for Certain Immunocompromised Children

Published on Thursday, January 06, 2022

In alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Rhode Island is now making Pfizer booster doses available to people who completed a primary series of Pfizer vaccine five months ago. Previously, people who completed a primary series of Pfizer vaccine needed to wait at least six months. The booster interval recommendations for people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine (two months) or the Moderna vaccine (six months) have not changed.

Additionally, Rhode Island is aligning with CDC guidance and is recommending that children age 5 to 11 who are moderately to severely immunocompromised receive an additional (third) dose of vaccine 28 days after their second dose. This third dose is considered part of the primary series. This is consistent with the guidance for moderately or severely immunocompromised adults. Because Pfizer is the only COVID-19 vaccine authorized for use by people age 5 or older, moderately or severely immunocompromised children age 5 to 11 must get the Pfizer vaccine for this third dose.

"Our goal is to ensure that all Rhode Islanders receive a booster as soon as they are eligible to provide the added protection we need to keep ourselves and those around us safe," said Governor Dan McKee. "It's time for a boost, Rhode Island – if you haven't already, I encourage you to make an appointment to get vaccinated or boosted today."

"Throughout this pandemic, we have updated our recommendations using the latest science to ensure that Rhode Islanders are getting the best protection," said Director of Health Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, MPH. "This is particularly important now, with the more contagious Omicron variant spreading in Rhode Island. If you or someone in your family is eligible for a third dose, make an appointment or head to a walk-up vaccination clinic today."

People are considered moderately or 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 your immune response

More information about what constituents moderately or severely immunocompromised is available online. At this time, only the Pfizer vaccine is authorized and recommended for children aged 5 to 11.

General information about COVID-19 vaccination and vaccination sites is available at C19vaccineri.org.