What can you do to stop the wave of covid infections?
3:28
(CNN) --
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again in the United States, fueled by the most contagious strain of the coronavirus yet, BA.5.
Federal health officials are urging Americans to catch up on their vaccinations and get extra boosters if they're due, but many people are confused.
Who can get the vaccines now?
Will all the adults be able to get a second booster soon?
If new vaccines are being developed for the fall, should people wait until then or get vaccinated now?
How long should people wait to get their booster after contracting covid-19?
And as for the kids, should they get their boosters now or wait until school starts?
To help us answer these questions, we spoke with Dr. Leana Wen, CNN Medical Analyst, ER Physician, and Professor of Health Policy and Management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
She is also the author of "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health."
CNN: Can you remind us who can get booster doses right now?
Dr. Leana Wen:
The latest guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is as follows: If you are 50 years of age or older, you can receive two doses of mRNA vaccine booster (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna).
The first booster dose is given at least five months after the primary vaccination schedule (which can be two doses of the mRNA vaccine or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine).
The second booster dose is given at least four months after the first.
If you are between 5 and 49 years old, you can receive your first booster dose, if at least five months have passed since your primary schedule.
Children under 5 years of age have just started receiving their initial vaccinations and therefore cannot yet receive additional boosters.
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There are a couple of exceptions.
The first is if you are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
These people are usually able to receive a third booster dose, with the interval between booster doses slightly reduced compared to the intervals for people who are not immunosuppressed.
Another exception is people who received a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for the first time, and then received another J&J vaccine as their first booster.
Those people, regardless of their age, can get a second booster of an mRNA vaccine if it has been four months since their second J&J shot.
When will we have a new booster dose against covid-19 in the US?
CNN: Will adults under 50 be able to get their second booster soon?
Wen:
Federal health officials are discussing expanding eligibility for second boosters.
My best guess is that in the next month or so, they'll make at least a permissive recommendation, which means those who want to get another booster shot should be able to get it.
The decision about who should get a booster and how often is not an easy one.
Ultimately, there is fundamental disagreement between scientists and public health experts about the purpose of Covid-19 vaccines.
Some believe that the goal of these vaccines is to prevent serious illness, and as long as the vaccines continue to protect against hospitalization and death, no additional boosters are needed.
Others point out that vaccinations can also reduce symptomatic disease.
This effect is not as long lasting as protection against severe illness, so those who hold the latter view would advocate more frequent boosters.
The answer is complicated.
What to do if you get covid-19 right now?
CNN: Are there certain people who need to beef up now, if they haven't already?
Wen:
This is how I think of the three groups for whom reinforcements are most urgent if they haven't received them.
We know that age is an important risk factor for severe disease, and also that protection against severe disease decreases in older people.
People age 60 and older, and those age 50 and older with chronic illnesses, should really get their two booster doses.
Immunocompromised people, who are eligible for more boosters, should get them, as they are also among the most vulnerable to severe consequences of covid-19.
Also, all adults should get their first booster dose.
We know that the first booster dose actually increases protection, even against severe illness.
If you are 18 years of age or older and have not yet been vaccinated beyond the first shot, you should get your booster now.
CNN: And the children? Should they also get the booster shot if they are approved for it?
Wen:
The data for reinforcing children is much less convincing than for adults.
The CDC recommends booster shots for children ages 5 and older, and I think many parents and caregivers will want to follow that guidance.
But the urgency is not the same as in the case of adults, especially the elderly, who have not yet been vaccinated.
Children under 5 years old can finally receive the covid-19 vaccine.
What should parents keep in mind?
CNN:
Let's talk about the weather.
Some people worry that if they get vaccinated now, they won't be able to get the omicron-specific vaccines that might be available in the fall.
Should that be a reason to wait?
Wen:
For most people, I don't think it's a reason to wait.
This is the reason.
First, federal health officials have said that getting vaccinated now won't prevent you from getting an updated vaccine in the fall.
It is worth saying here that it is not certain that these updated vaccines will be available.
The one that is likely to be licensed is the "bivalent" vaccine, meaning it will be a combination of the original vaccine and a vaccine for the omicron subvariants.
Second, there are now many viruses in circulation.
If you get a booster shot now, you'll be protected now, and if you need an extra level of protection in the fall and winter, you can get another dose then.
Third, it is not entirely clear that the updated vaccine is going to be better than the available vaccines.
The updated vaccine is intended to target sub-variants of omicron, which would be great if vaccines were available today, as those are the dominant variants in circulation.
However, if they are to be administered in the fall, there is no guarantee that the omicron sub-variants will still be the main strains at that time.
Of course, we hope that the updated reinforcements will be more effective than what we have now, but we don't know if that will be the case, which is one more reason not to wait until then.
CNN: I've heard some people say they'll wait for a booster right before a big trip. Does that make sense?
Wen:
I can understand why some people might take this approach.
The booster improves protection against infection for a short time after administration, probably with a maximum effect of about 10 days to three months.
A person who has just received the booster could be infected with covid-19, but the chances would be lower than if they had received the booster, say, six months earlier.
Of course, there are also other ways to reduce the risk of contracting covid-19.
If you are very concerned about contracting the coronavirus, you should also wear a high-quality N95 mask or equivalent indoors and avoid crowded places.
CNN: If someone has just recovered from Covid-19, how long should they wait before their booster?
Wen:
They can get a booster as soon as 10 days have passed since they started having symptoms and no longer have a fever, although I would recommend waiting a bit longer.
This is because recent infection provides good protection for a short time and reinfection within three months is rare.
To get the most protection from the next shot, they might wait three months after infection to get the extra booster.
booster dose