Pfizer Booster: Will It Get Acceptance in the US?
1:36
(CNN) -
Mark Warschauer, an education professor at the University of California, Irvine, was "tremendously excited" about the authorization of COVID-19 vaccines, and happy when he was able to receive his first doses.
And he was also in the front row for a boost.
"We were very concerned about the covid," he told CNN.
"I am not an elderly person, but at 67 I knew there was a considerable risk of hospitalization and even death from covid. So I got vaccinated as soon as possible," he added.
Warschauer is leading a trend.
Pfizer requests approval of its vaccine for children under 11 years old 0:44
According to the most recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more people are receiving a booster dose of the covid-19 vaccine every day than those who are vaccinated for the first time or are fully vaccinated.
advertising
CDC data shows that more than six million fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose of the covid-19 vaccine.
An average of 390,444 people receive a booster dose each day, while only 288,105 people start their vaccination series each day and 276,539 people get fully vaccinated each day.
The booster shot, recommended for a group
Current CDC recommendations are that people over the age of 65, people who have a health condition that puts them at increased risk of serious illness if they contract a sudden-onset infection, or people who are at increased risk contracting COVID-19 while at work or in their living circumstances can receive a booster dose.
Currently, the booster dose is only authorized for those who have received a full series of Pfizer's covid-19 vaccine.
Also, some immunosuppressed people are allowed to receive a third dose, although this is not technically considered a booster because they may not have fully responded to the first two doses.
Although Biden administration officials have stressed that booster doses are important, in addition to increasing the number of Americans vaccinated with the initial series of vaccines, the rates of giving booster doses have exceeded the number of people starting to get vaccinated from October 1.
Should you get a covid-19 booster now?
An expert thinks
"Vaccination of unvaccinated people remains the top priority, including through vaccination requirements," White House covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said at a team briefing on Wednesday.
Receive a booster shot to protect themselves and others against covid-19
According to CDC data, more than 64% of the booster doses administered so far have been given to people 65 years of age and older.
Almost 9% of all fully vaccinated people 65 and older have received a booster dose.
As someone who says he tries to follow science carefully, Warschauer said he thought the same about reinforcements.
"Naturally, I was also looking forward to the possibility of getting the booster shot," he said, adding that he got it as soon as he was eligible.
They confirm the decrease in immunity of the Pfizer vaccine 0:41
The booster vaccination was about more than just protecting himself, he said.
It was about protecting everyone around him.
"It is part of my responsibilities as a good citizen," he said.
"And also, you know, protect my own health."
Meeting the demand of developers
Zients said the Biden administration's work on booster doses is "paying off."
"We estimate that 4 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves and received a booster dose, including 2 million in the first week and another 2 million in just the last five days," he said.
"Our booster program is not only underway, it is accelerating and we are building on our good start to get millions of eligible Americans receiving their booster shots," he said.
Administration of booster doses can pose a challenge for some vaccination clinics as demand increases.
"On the ground, it's been manageable, and we haven't heard much in terms of problems with boosters from Pfizer. But I think the main concern about adding more boosters is capacity," said Lori Tremmel Freeman, CEO. from the National Association of County and City Health Officials to CNN on Wednesday.
"Mass vaccination clinics are likely to be considered when and where there is a need," he said.
CDC: Covid-19 booster doses are well tolerated 1:44
As a University of Michigan employee who runs the Covid-19 testing centers, 26-year-old Alicia Kalsi was able to receive her booster shot at an employee clinic early in the booster deployment.
Kalsi told CNN that according to CDC guidelines, her job meant she was in the "can get" booster shot group, not the "must" group.
He decided to get the booster shot for both work and personal reasons.
"I knew that from a work point of view, it would be beneficial for me," he said.
"And from a personal point of view, I am a public health professional and it is very exciting to see this unfolding of inoculation. And as I mentioned with my first dose, I am very excited to be able to participate in something so historic. It is incredibly exciting for It is a privilege and an honor to be able to protect myself and my community by doing something so simple, "he said.
The last time he checked, he said, the next available appointment at the employee clinic was in late October.
"There is a pretty high demand," he said.
"It's funny, when I was talking to the nurse who gave me the vaccine, she would tell me that it is nice that we have people so excited to come again."
Covid-19 Coroavirus vaccine