Author: Caroline Schmidt
Last April, multiple companies released COVID-19 vaccines to the general public. Pfizer was one of these companies, which estimated a total production of 3 billion doses in 2021. As you probably know, each person with the Pfizer vaccine receives 2 doses. In August, the White House planned to make a third “booster” shot available to all American adults. This plan received backlash from the FDA and the WHO because the vaccine has not been available to some poorer nations, and people were skeptical about the necessity of a third dose. Officials are questioning whether a giving third doses is an efficient use of vaccine supplies.
These shots would temporarily boost your antibody levels for 3-6 months. Long term, your immunity levels would not change. So far, there are no proven disadvantages to a booster shot. Some cases of heart inflammation have been seen in some people who have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, however it is unknown whether this would occur due to a third dose.
Recently, the FDA has approved booster shots for people who are ages 65 and over, other adults with underlying health conditions, and those working in high-risk settings. Dr. Walensky, the director of the CDC, believes that recommending these third shots will help protect people of increased risk, and that they will not take away from the primary goal to vaccinate as many people as possible. However, many people are wary of the boosters because of constantly changing recommendations for them. What are your thoughts?
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Sources:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/what-covid-booster-shots-can-and-cant-do
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/p0924-booster-recommendations-.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/09/25/covid-vaccine-booster-confusion/
Image Source:
https://www.genengnews.com/news/covid-19-vaccine-booster-shot-trials-kicked-off-by-nih/