Do you need a COVID-19 booster shot?
Are you eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot? And why might you need one? The data show that the COVID-19 vaccines continue to work very well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death, even as the Delta variant circulates. But the data also indicate a reduced level of protection against infection in general over time and around 6 months after getting the original vaccines. This is not surprising, and very similar to what happens after receiving the flu vaccine – protection declines over time and you can certainly get the infection more than once. The goal is to protect the most vulnerable individuals from severe infection and to reduce the total number of infections as best we can. That’s why public health officials are recommending booster shots for certain groups of people.
Who is eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot?
Here are the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines:
If you received the Johnson & Johnson (a.k.a. Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine and are at least 18 years old, you are eligible for a booster shot after two months have passed since your original shot. A single dose of this vaccine is less effective than two doses.
If you received a primary mRNA COVID-19 vaccine series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna) and are 18 years or older, you are eligible for a booster shot. The booster should be given six months or more after you received your first two doses.
Which booster shot should you get?
You can get any of the COVID-19 vaccines authorized in the United States. You can mix and match vaccine types or get the same vaccine you got before. For example, even if you got Moderna or Johnson & Johnson first, you can get a Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot.
For adults, the booster shots contain the same formulas as the regular COVID-19 vaccines, although the Moderna booster contains half the dose of the initial Moderna vaccine series. The choice of which vaccine you receive as a booster shot may depend on your medical conditions, reactions to the original vaccines, or preferences of patients and providers based on safety data. For example, the best boost of immunity based on blood work occurs when receiving either the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine following an original Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so those at very high risk of severe infection may benefit more from that approach.
Preparing for your COVID-19 booster
Be sure to bring your COVID-19 vaccine record card to your appointment. If you don’t have a card, contact the location where you got your first shot or your state health department.
Reactions are possible after getting the booster shot and are generally similar to those experienced after the first vaccine series. The most common side effects include pain at the injection site, fatigue, fever and headache.
You’re still considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after getting your second dose in a two-shot series or a single-dose vaccine. As more data become available, the CDC may recommend that other groups get booster shots as well.
If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, talk to your primary care provider. To find a provider near you, visit www.pardeehospital.org.
Dr. Chris Parsons is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease at Pardee UNC Health Care.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Do you need a COVID-19 booster shot?
