Doctors discuss possible COVID-19 booster shot - KWCH

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - COVID-19 vaccinations began in the United States roughly six months ago and health officials say those who were first to get the shots may need a booster soon.

“When you get a booster, you increase dramatically the level of antibodies protected. So, the question is, will we be getting boosters? It’s highly likely,” said America’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Pfizer and Moderna say each of their vaccines are effective for at least six months and both are currently working to develop booster shots.

White House Senior Advisor for COVID-19, Andy Slavitt, says right now it’s still too soon to tell if they’ll be needed.

“We are planning for it. We’ll make sure if science says that’s the case, we’ll have enough vaccines, enough vaccinators and locations. We’ll listen to what the CDC and FDA say, but it’s still too early to know yet,” said Slavitt.

Pfizer’s CEO, Albert Bourla, says booster shots are likely.

“It’s likely there’ll be a need for boosters within eight to 12 months,” said Bourla.

Dr. Fauci says boosters could also help protect against COVID-19 variants since the vaccines were developed before they began to spread.

“Instead of having to play whack-a-mole with each individual variant and develop a booster that’s variant-specific, it is likely that you could just keep boosting against the wild type, and wind up getting a good enough response that you wouldn’t have to worry about the variants,” said Dr. Fauci.

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May 23, 2021 at 08:39AM
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Doctors discuss possible COVID-19 booster shot - KWCH

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