Video: Boston doctor discusses effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots
Updated: 10:58 AM EST Feb 12, 2022
CHANGE. THANK YOU. THE POTENCY OF COVID-19 BOOSRTE SHOTS APPEARS TO PLUNGE AFTER FOUR MONTHS, RAISING THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME AMERICANS WI NLLEED ANOTHER DOSE. JENNIFER: HERE TO SHARE HIS ADVICE IS DR. MARK SIEDNER, ETH EPIDEMIOLOGIST WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF INFECTUSIO DISEASES AT MASS GENERAL HOSPITAL. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MOINRNG. LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS NEW DATA FROM THEDC C DOES PROTECTION FROM BOOSTERS DROP AFTER FOUR MONTHS FOR JTUS SOME PEOE PLOR EVERYONE? >> WHAT WE KNOW IS OMICRON IAS SHIFTY VIRUS. THE VACCINES AND BOOSTRS HAVE NOT BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL IN PROTECTING PEOPLE AGAINST MILD DISEASE AS THE PRIOR VARIANTS. BUT WHAT WE REALLY DO CONTINUE TO SEE FROM THIS DAT EA,XTREMELY CONVINCINGLY, BOOSTSER ARE THE BEST PROTECTION AGAINST HOSPITALIZATION AND DEATH. THEY ARE OVER 90% PROTECTIVE. THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW THAT HAVE BEEN BOOSTED BEFORE OMICR CAME. IT IS TOO EARLY TO TELL BUT EYTH SEEM EFFECTIVE. RHONDELLA: BOOSTER SHOTSAV H BEEN AVAILABLE SINCE OCTOBER, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE COULD BE PAST THE FOUR MONTH POINT ALREADY. WHAT’S THEIR RISK RIGHT NOW FOR SEVERE ILLNESS OR EVEN DEATH? >> I THINK THOSE PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK WITH IMMUNE DEFICIENCIES, MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES, STILL NEED TO REINMA VIGILANT. THE VIRUS IS STILL OUT THERE ALTHOUGH IT IS DROPPIN QUICKLY. I THINK THE MAIN MESSAGE IS FOR THE VAST MAJORITY, THOSEHO W HAVE BEEN BOOSTED REMAIN ST RONGLY PROTECTED AND THEY SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE THE BOOSTER IS GOING TO DO THE J.OB JENNIFER: THE CDC HAS SOME BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE ABOUT OFFERING A FOURTH ST.HO WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE BEST OPTIONS RIGHT NOW? >> SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNOSUPPRESSED MAY BE ELIGIBLE FO R THE SHOT AND SPEAKING TO THEIR PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS. TAT MOMENT THE FOCUS FOR THE CDC AND ALL OF US IN PUBLIC HEALTH SHOULD BE MAKING SURE ALL THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR ONE OR TWO OR THREE DOSES GET UP TO THAT LEVEL. UNTIL WE GET PEOPLE UTOP THE SECOND OR THIRD DOSE THE FOURTH IS NOT THAT USEFUL. METI WILL TELL WHETHER WE NEED FOURTH DOSES OR FIFTH DOSES. IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY AND WITH OMICRON ON THE RUN THE FUSOC SHOULD BE ON THOSE WHO NEED SECOND AND THIRD DOSES. RHONDELLA: I GET THAT. I ALSO WANT TO ASK YOU ABO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE FDA THAT IT WILL WAIT FOR W TANE THAT QUOTE, “RECENTLY ERD”EM BEFORE DECIDING WHETHER TO AUTHORIZE PFIZER’S TWO-DOSE VACCINE FOR CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN FIVE. HOW UNUSUAL IS THAT? WHAT COULD IT MEAN? >> WE HAVE A THREE-YEAR-OLD AT HOME STILL INELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION BUT THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. WE WANT REGULATORY AUTHORITIES TO LOOK AT THE DATA VERY CAREFULLY, SEE WITH THE DATA OWREFULLY, SEE WITH THE DATA US, AND NOT MAKE DECISIONS UNTIL THEY CAN BE SURE THESE VACCINES ARE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE. WE ARE WAITING FOR DATA FROM BOTH PFIZER AND MODERNA AROUND MARCH FOR THE UNDER FIVE-YEAR-OLDS. HOPEFULLY IT WILL SHOW WE ARE READY TO GO ON WE GET THE YOUNGEST VACCINATED. BUT WE DO NOT WANT THE FDA OR ANYONE RECOMMENDING VACCINES UNTIL THE DATA SHOWS THEY SHOULD. JENNIFER: DR. MARK SIEDNER, THE EPIDEMIOLOGIST WITHIN TH DEPARTMENT OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT MASS GEN
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Video: Boston doctor discusses effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine booster shots
Updated: 10:58 AM EST Feb 12, 2022
Dr. Mark Siedner, of Mass General, also talks about the FDA’s decision to delay its meeting on COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 5.
Dr. Mark Siedner, of Mass General, also talks about the FDA’s decision to delay its meeting on COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 5.
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