Bill Braido receives his first dose of the Moderna-manufactured COVID-19 vaccine from medical assistant Melissa Garcia during an appointment at a Memorial Hermann Medical Group office on West Holcombe Boulevard, Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, in Houston. Braido, 67, is currently receiving chemotherapy treatments at Memorial Hermann for stage 1 bladder cancer, and received an email during the last week of December asking him to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine.
Mark Mulligan, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographerIt’s still unclear if — or when — a potential booster shot would be needed. And it will likely be a few more months until major vaccine developers have enough data from the first batch of inoculations to determine the length of protection they provide.
Pfizer announced earlier this week that it has begun testing a booster shot on adults. And Moderna reports its booster shot is effective against the more-contagious and deadly B.1.351 and P.1. variants. The company is also testing a third dose similar to its original two-dose inoculation, as well as a booster that mixes its original dose with that from its booster shot.
Johnson & Johnson, which provides a one-shot vaccine, is also researching the question.
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Dr. David Lakey, chief medical officer of the University of Texas System, said more will need to be known about the current vaccines before it can be determined whether vaccine boosters will be needed.
He said he’s been encouraged by the length of protection that the three major vaccines have shown to provide so far. But Lakey is not ruling out the need for boosters, particularly until more is known about the various mutations of the coronavirus.
“The science is showing that immunity is lasting in individuals,” Lakey said. “But for right now it’s too early to tell” whether boosters will be necessary.
Find out the answers to your coronavirus questions at the Houston Chronicle's COVID Help Desk.
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June 11, 2021 at 03:16AM
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COVID Help Desk: When will I need a booster shot? - Houston Chronicle
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