Moderna and Pfizer say with more COVID-19 variants mutating onto the scene, a booster shot will likely be necessary.
"It shouldn't come from pharmaceutical executives who stand to profit from the use of that booster but from public health experts," said Dr. Jeffrey Jahre with St. Luke's University Health Network.
Both local health networks say it's too early to know whether a booster will actually be needed.
"COVID-19 is still a new illness to us. The long-term monitoring of those who became sick at the start of the pandemic and even the long-term monitoring of those who are vaccinated still is yet to be determined," said Dr. Timothy Friel with Lehigh Valley Health Network.
LVHN was part of the Pfizer trial last summer. The participants in that study will have the option to take part in a Pfizer booster trial starting in July.
"And then we're going to see is the booster necessary and maybe what type of boosters are going to provide the most protection overall," Friel said.
Meantime, St. Luke's is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health in studying variants and vaccine breakthrough.
"The good news is that the symptoms they do get when they break through are not severe, they almost never result in them winding up in the hospital," Jahre said.
Doctors say until the the data from these studies is thoroughly examined, coming out with a booster can do more harm than good since there are still a lot of people who haven't received a first dose worldwide.
Here in the U.S., 41 percent of Americans and 44 percent of Pennsylvanians have been vaccinated.
Health officials say vaccine hesitancy is still a major hurdle.
The Link LonkJune 05, 2021 at 04:11AM
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Will there be a need for COVID-19 booster shot? Companies say yes, doctors say not so fast - 69News WFMZ-TV
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