By Erika EdwardsNBC
News
As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge across the country, the message from federal health officials about boosters is clear: Don't wait to get vaccinated.
If you are eligible, get it immediately.
"The threat to you is now,"
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden, said at a news conference on Tuesday.
“Getting vaccinated now will protect you now.”
But knowing exactly who is eligible, how many shots are needed, and when they are needed has confused many.
A woman receives a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine in Lawrence, Mass., on Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021.Charles Krupa/AP
In addition, scientists are working on new versions of the vaccines specifically to combat the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of omicron.
Those vaccines are expected to be available in the fall, leaving many unsure whether to get vaccinated now or wait for new versions.
Here's what you need to know about boosters.
1. Who can get a booster now?
It is highly recommended that adults age 50 and older receive two booster shots;
that is, they receive a third and fourth dose.
Those who were initially vaccinated with one of the mRNA vaccines can receive the first booster five months later and the second four months later.
[Follow all our coverage of the coronavirus pandemic here]
Those over 50 years of age who originally received the Johnson & Johnson injection can get their first booster at least two months after the first dose and a second booster at four months.
Both must be from Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.
Older adults have been at higher risk of complications from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
That is why the Joe Biden Administration is urging that particular population to get vaccinated again.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at Tuesday's briefing that
people age 50 and older who received just one vaccine from booster are four times more likely to die from COVID-19
than people in the same age group who already received two booster doses.
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Adults ages 18 to 49 are eligible to receive a booster dose, or a third injection generally, at least five months after their initial series of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines.
Children and adolescents ages 5 to 17 can receive boosters as long as at least five months have passed since their first two doses of Pfizer.
The children who received the Moderna injections do not yet qualify for the boosters.
Children ages 6 months to 4 years are eligible for the initial rounds of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines;
however, boosters are not yet recommended for that age group, according to the CDC.
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People age 5 and older with weakened immune systems can generally receive booster shots earlier than the general population, often three months after their first rounds of vaccination.
2. Do the current reinforcements work against the sub-variants BA.4 and BA.5?
Current vaccines were designed for the original strain of the coronavirus.
But as the virus has mutated, it has become increasingly adept at breaking through the wall of immunity our bodies have built through previous infections, vaccinations, or both.
At this time, the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants of omicron account for more than 80% of active cases.
Experts warn that these injections do not prevent BA.4 and BA.5 infection.
In fact, infections are regularly reported in people who have been vaccinated or have already become ill.
However, experts say these injections reduce the risk of hospitalization and death from the virus.
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"If you're eligible for a booster shot, you should get it," said Dr. Jorge Salinas, an epidemiologist and infectious disease expert at Stanford University.
"Even if it doesn't completely protect you from infection, it can still be the difference between a mild or severe infection."
3. If I get a booster now, can I get another shot this fall?
Dr. Robert Hopkins, director of internal medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, said he recently received several calls from people asking the same question.
He also advises his patients and colleagues to get the booster now if they're eligible, because new vaccines are, at best, at least four months away from being released to the public.
“We lose nothing by getting vaccinated or boosted now.
And we certainly gained protection,” Hopkins said.
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White House COVID-19 Response Team Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha advised as much at Tuesday's briefing: "Getting vaccinated now won't prevent you from getting a variant-specific vaccine this fall or winter."
4. I just had COVID-19, do I need a booster?
Yes, as long as you've already recovered from the acute illness, which means you don't have a fever and are back to your normal daily activities, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
That includes diagnoses in the last month, he said.
“There is no downside” to getting the booster after infection if you are eligible, he explained.
"It turns out that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and then get a booster have the highest levels of antibodies," she added.
Walensky said he has seen "large amounts of data that have shown that if you've been previously infected and also vaccinated, you have much more protection than a previous infection alone."
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5. Should children get boosters before school starts?
Pediatricians encourage parents to have their children vaccinated before they return to school, if they haven't already, even if new vaccines are available in a few months.
“It may be that in the fall the recommendation will change and a new booster will be recommended, but in the meantime, your child will have the maximum protection possible with our current vaccines,” said Dr. Richard Besser, a pediatrician and president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. .
“That is important because the pandemic is not over,”
he stressed.
In very rare cases, inflammation of the heart has occurred in young adults who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
But studies have shown that inflammation, called myocarditis, is much more common after COVID-19 infection than after vaccination.
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While it is true that children have largely been spared the most serious consequences of COVID-19, their risk is not zero.
Besser said the fact that millions of children have received the vaccines should reassure parents.
“There is now a lot more data on vaccine safety that should make parents feel a lot more comfortable,” he added.