COVID-19 Booster Shots: Top Questions Answered
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Sept. 24, 2021 — The FDA and the CDC this week announced that certain groups of people at high risk for serious COVID-19 infection can now get a booster dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
You and your friends and family may have questions: Am I eligible? Where do I go to get a booster? Do I have to show proof of being high-risk? Am I still fully vaccinated if Iâm eligible for a booster and donât receive one?
We break down the most common questions about the updated Pfizer booster guidelines.
What are boosters?
A booster is an extra dose of vaccine to give you more protection against a disease; in this case, COVID-19.
âBasically, boosters are exactly what the word says,â according to Anita Gupta, DO, an adjunct assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and pain medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
âBoosters allow people to have an increased immune response.â
The extra dose of vaccine is especially important for the elderly and people with weakened immune systems from conditions like cancer, diabetes, or obesity, due to new variants being discovered, says Gupta.
âThereâs a possibility that the immune response from the two-dose vaccine series may not be enough, especially in individuals who would be particularly vulnerable.
âSo, the goal is really to help those individuals if they potentially were faced with new variants and to ensure that they donât have any poor immune response if theyâre faced with it.â
Who is eligible for the Pfizer booster?
Certain groups of people who have been fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine for 6 months or longer can now receive a single Pfizer booster dose, according to updated FDA emergency use authorization guidelines.
You canât receive the Pfizer booster if you received other COVID-19 vaccines, like Moderna or Johnson & Johnson.
You can get a Pfizer booster if you received the Pfizer vaccine and are a part of one of these groups:
- 65 years old or older
- 18 years old or older and at high risk for severe COVID-19
- If you work or live in a situation that puts you at high risk for severe COVID-19. For example, health care workers, teachers, and people in prisons and homeless shelters.
Go here to see if you or someone you know is at high risk for severe COVID-19.
When can I expect to receive a Pfizer booster if I received another COVID-19 vaccine, like Moderna or Johnson & Johnson?
The exact date is unknown, but it shouldnât take too long, given Moderna recently submitted data to the FDA, and Johnson & Johnson will be following suit very shortly.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD, on Friday said getting boosters approved for everyone, including those who originally got the Moderna or J&J vaccine, is a âhigh, high priority.â
William Schaffner, MD, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, agrees it should happen soon.
âI would hope that within the next month to 6 weeks, we will get information about both of those vaccines,â he says. âIt will be one right after the other. Each one dealt with separately.â
âI know it leads to a certain amount of confusion, but thatâs the way you have to do it because all the data were not assembled at exactly the same time.â
Just the fact that Pfizer boosters are now available to certain high-risk groups is a big sign that boosters for other COVID-19 vaccines arenât far behind, says Eric Ascher, DO, a family medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
âTo me, that is a strong indicator that they will be made available to the rest of the population soon,â he says.
Where do I go get my Pfizer booster and how much will it cost?
You can get your booster shot at pharmacies, your doctorâs office, health departments, occupational clinics, and federal programs, according to the CDC.
âOver 70% of current COVID-19 administrationâ occurs in pharmacies, the CDC states.
Boosters for all COVID-19 vaccines are completely free.
âAll COVID-19 vaccines, including booster doses, will be provided free of charge to the U.S. population,â the CDC said Thursday.
Do I need to show proof of having received the Pfizer vaccine before getting a Pfizer booster?
The short answer is probably not. But for your safety, itâs important to follow FDA guidelines and only get a Pfizer booster if you received the Pfizer vaccine, Schaffner says.
âThat has already opened the door to people who have not been vaccinated with Pfizer who are very eager to get a booster, to go ahead and get a booster. Thatâs not recommended,â he says.
âWe always caution people that, while this is unlikely, should you experience an adverse event, if youâre doing it outside the set recommendation, your insurance wonât cover it.â
Do we have to show proof of being high risk due to an underlying medical condition or that we live or work in a place that puts us at high risk for severe COVID-19, or that we are older than 65?
No.
It will work on the honor system, Schaffner says. âIn other words, you show up and say youâre eligible, you wonât be quizzed about it, and the location, whether itâs a pharmacy or vaccination site, will give you the booster.
âThis is the same procedure we already have in place for people who are immunocompromised. All they have to do is show up and say, âIâm in an immunocompromised group,â and they get the third dose.â
Are boosters a full dose or half dose of the Pfizer vaccine?
A Pfizer booster is one full dose of Pfizer vaccine, according to the FDA.
But this may not be the same for other COVID-19 vaccine boosters.
âFor example, the FDA is considering whether to authorize a lower dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster than the dose given in the first two shots,â Gupta says.
But you shouldnât be too hung up on the dose of your booster shot.
âThis is based on the makeup of the vaccine and does not change the level of protection,â Ascher says.
If I am fully vaccinated but havenât received a booster, am I still considered fully vaccinated?
Yes.
âBased on current data, the definition of âfully vaccinatedâ would remain the same after recommendations for booster dose,â the CDC says.
A person is considered fully vaccinated 2 weeks after they complete their initial vaccination series, like two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
When it comes to people who are immunocompromised, it can be a bit more complicated, says Gupta.
âFor clarityâs sake, if you are immunocompromised, weâll call your third shot a third dose. Third doses for immunocompromised people are available now. If youâre not immunocompromised, a third shot is considered a booster.
âAccording to the CDC, those with moderately to severely compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and may not build the same level of immunity to two-dose vaccine series, compared to people who are not immunocompromised. This additional dose intends to improve immunocompromised peopleâs response to their initial vaccine series.â
Is this going to be an annual booster, like flu vaccines?
âWe donât know that yet,â Schaffner says. âWe would anticipate that these boosters, because they really boost and increase your antibody levels to a very high level, would provide rather prolonged protection. How long? Well, weâll have to see.
âRemember, weâre learning about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccinations as we go along, so we canât predict at the moment whether this will be an annual booster, or every 2 years, or every 3 years. Weâll just have to see.â
Should I expect the same side effects that I experienced when I received my initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine?
You may experience similar side effects, like arm soreness, mild flu, body aches, and other common symptoms, according to the CDC.
But itâs important to remember that everyone reacts differently to vaccines, says Ascher.
âI have had patients (as well as personal experience) where there were none to minimal symptoms, and others who felt they had a mild flu for 24 hours,â he says.
âI expect no side effects greater than what was felt with your prior doses. The vaccine is very safe, and the benefit of vaccination outweighs the risks of any mild side effects.â
If youâd like more information, you can check out the CDC and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services websites for updates on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters. You can also reach out to your doctor or other health care providers to learn more.
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