Anyone else with a comorbidity that predisposes them to severe COVID or thinks they might be exposed at work, right? So those are the people who are already eligible, they definitely should get the booster. We know that older people are at higher risk for complicated COVID, and we know that their immunity may be more likely to wane. So probably the first group on my mind is that immunocompromised group. The ones that I'm giving the particular nudge to are the people who are most at risk for either not having responded to the vaccine in the first place or for getting severe COVID if they were to contract it. So absolutely, I'm recommending boosters to all my patients. We know that, still, the vaccines are really, really effective against severe disease and hospitalization, but we do know that immunity wanes over time and that the risk of contracting COVID - not necessarily serious COVID - goes up. Herz: With the boosters, do you think it's more of a priority for some patients rather than others?īlau: We do know that there is waning immunity with all three manufacturers over time. We're probably vaccinating between 500 and 600 people a day at our vaccination center, and then we also do some vaccinations at our retail pharmacies - there are three of those - and some vaccinations in our hospitals and our clinics.
We have all three vaccines - J&J, Pfizer and Moderna - and obviously Pfizer for children. We actually are one of the few remaining public sites, so we vaccinate our own patients, but we also are open to the public. Who are they for? What kind of capacity do you have?īlau: So at CHA, we run one major vaccination clinic that's located in Somerville. Herz: I assume you are still running some clinics. But for people who are willing to just wait a little bit, they might have a little bit of an easier time. Obviously, Thanksgiving is closing in on us, but there's still plenty of time to get a booster before the end-of-the-year holidays, before Christmas.Īnd I think our experience has been that the first week or two after these announcements is pretty frenetic with people, as you said, on the CVS website and kind of knocking down the doors, which is great.
Jessamyn Blau: Demand is pretty tight right now, and I completely understand - especially people who want their kids vaccinated before the holidays, they want that little bit of extra immunity. Bottom line? Get it, says Tufts epidemiologistĪll Massachusetts adults now eligible for COVID booster shotĪsk A Pediatrician: What Do Parents Need To Know About The COVID Vaccine For Young Kids?īlack-owned business donates two million masks to Greater Boston communitiesĭr. Everyone 18+ in Massachusetts is now eligible for a booster shot.