Video: Boston doctor explains why CDC is expanding eligibility for second COVID-19 booster shot
Updated: 6:08 PM EDT Mar 29, 2022
>> YOU ARE WATCHING WCVB NEWSCENTER 5 AT 5:.30 ERIKA: THE CDC IS RECOMMENDING A SECOND BOOSTER ST FORHO ADULTS 50 AND OLDER AND SOME PEOPLE WHO RECEIVED THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE. HERE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS IS DR. HELEN BOUCHER, THE INTERIM DEAN OF TUFTS MEDICAL SCHOOL AND AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT TUFTS MEDICAL CENTER. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. >> NICE TO SEE YOU. BEN: PEOPLE AGE 12 AND OLDER WHO ARE SEVERELY IMMUNE DEFICIENT CAN ALREADY T GEA SECOND BOOSTER SHOT. WHY IS THE CDC EXPANDING ELIGIBILITY TO OLDER ADULTS, EVEN ONES WHO ARE IN GOOD HEALTH? >> THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO REASONS. ONE IS THIS OBSERVATIONF O WANING IMMUNITY IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD A BOOSTER AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED. THE OTHER IS A CONRNCE ABOUT ANOTHER BLIORP WORSE DUE TO THE BA.2 VARIANT OR ANOTHER VARIANT .SOME UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME AND WINNING IMMUNITY. ERIKA: THE CDC HAS NEW ADVICE FOR PEOPLE RECEIVED THE J&J VACCINE. WHAT DO THEY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ANOTHER SHOT? >> THIS IS IMPORTANT. DATA TODAY RELEASED SUGGEST MIXING AND MATCHING IS GOOD. IF YOU STARTED WITH ETH J&J VACCINE, YOU WILL BENEFIT FROM A BOOSTER WITH THEM MRNAAC VCINE. — WITH AN MRNA VACCINE TO THE OTHER OBSERVATION IS THAT VACCINATION WITH MRNA VACCINES APPEARS TO BE BETTER OVERALL. IF YOU HAVE NOT YET BEEN VACCINATED, YOU MIGHT WANT TO START WITH THE MRNA VACCINE. BEN: IF YOU GOT J&J INITIALLY AND YOU GOT A J&J BOOSTER, I DON’T KNOW HOW WIDELY AVAILABLE ATTH WAS, YOU CAN GO GET A THIRD SHOT. >> THAT IS ALSO TRUE. IT IS AN OPTION. IT IS NOAT DEFINITE RECOMMENDATION. I WOULD RECOMMEND IF YOU ARE IN THAT DEPARTMENT, YOU TALK TO YOUR PHYSICIAN ABOUT WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU. BEN: WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT DOSING AND POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF GETTING A THIRD OR FOURTH DOSE OF THE VACCINE? >> THAT IS KIND OF GOOD NEWS IN THAT IT IS THE SAME DOSE AS THE INITIAL BOOSTER AND THE SIDE EFFECTS DON’T APPEAR TO BE ANY WORSE. THE SIDE EFFECTS ARE THINGS LIKE A SORE ARM, FLULIKE SYMPTOMS, A LOW-GRADE FEVEROR F A DAY OR TWO. THOSE ARE QUITE MINOR IN COMPARISON TO GETTING SEVERELY ILL OR WORSE WITH COVID. THE DATA FROM ISRAEL SUGGESTS NO INCREASE IN SIDE EFFECTS FROM GETTING THE ADDITIONAL DE.OS ERA:IK WE DO KNOW YOU RECEIVED TWO DOSES OF PFIZER PLUS A BOOSTER AND YOU HAVE TOLD US YOU ARE OVER 50 SO HOW WILL YOU DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO GET THE FOURTH DOSE? >> TYHE SAYS THE CONUNDRUM — THIS IS THE CONUNDRUM SHOULD THE DATA ARE EARLY AND THEY ARE NOT CLEAR A HEALTHY 50 SOMETHING-YEARLD-O NEEDS TO GET THE BOOSTER APPEARED I TNKHI I AM GOING TO WATCH TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE BA.2. I DON’’ HAVE ANY OTHER IMMUNO COMPROMISING CONDITIONS THAT MAKE ME WORRIED. I CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE DATA TO MAKE THE DECISION. TAKE AWAY IIFS YOU ARE IMMUNO COMPROMISED OR YOU HAVE A LOT OF RISK FACTORS OR UYO ARE TUUKKA LILY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME, IT IS SAFE AND AN OPTION TO GET THE EXTRA BOOSTER NOW. BEN: HAVE NOTICED A WASTE WATER HAS TICKED UP SLIGHTLY MAYBE BECAUSE OF BA.2. CASSE HAVE GONE UP SLIGHTLY BECAUSE OF BA.2. HOSPITALIZATIONS APPREA TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. IS THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE? >> THAT IS OUR EXPERIENCE. IT IS REASSURING WE ARE NOT SEEING THE RATE OF INCREASE AS WE DID WITH OMICRON. ITS I EARLY AND WE NEED TBEO VIGILANT BUTO S FAR, WE ARE REASSURED BY WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS. ER
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Video: Boston doctor explains why CDC is expanding eligibility for second COVID-19 booster shot
Updated: 6:08 PM EDT Mar 29, 2022
The CDC is now recommending a second booster for people ages 50 and older, and some people who initially received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
The CDC is now recommending a second booster for people ages 50 and older, and some people who initially received the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
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