Booster Questions & Answers: What You Need To Know

How and when can I get a recall if I qualify?

The White House could start promoting and rolling out a recall plan as early as Friday. Health departments, pharmacies and doctors’ offices will distribute the reminders in the same way they gave the first and second doses. Call ahead for times and bring your vaccination card. Proof of an underlying medical condition will not be required, but you may want to discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

You can find more information about booster shots in the coming days on your state’s health department website or on pharmacy websites. People who are immunocompromised can also discuss the best way to get a third injection with their doctor. Since the FDA fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a two-dose regimen last month, doctors have had a great deal of latitude in prescribing a third dose to people they deemed necessary.

What if it has been less than six months since I was vaccinated?

While severely immunocompromised people may receive a third injection earlier, all other eligible people should wait at least six months after their second injection. In addition to a lack of safety data, receiving a booster too early is probably a wasted dose and may not increase your antibodies significantly.

Will a third dose ever be available to the general public?

While the Biden administration has said it supports booster shots for anyone who is eight months after vaccination, the plan has been rejected by FDA scientists. But the recommendation could change in the coming weeks or months as more data becomes available on the durability of vaccine antibodies over time. The good news is that the consensus within the scientific community is that all vaccines continue to offer strong protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death from Covid-19.

What are the side effects of booster injections?

Although data are limited, so far the reactions reported after the third dose of Pfizer or Moderna mRNA were similar to those in the two-dose series: fatigue and pain at the injection site were the most common. most commonly reported side effects and overall most symptoms were mild to moderate, according to the CDC. A survey in Israel, where booster shots are already given, found that 88% of Pfizer vaccinees said that within days of the third dose, they felt “similar or better” to what they felt after the dose. second injection. About a third of those surveyed reported some side effects, the most common being pain at the injection site, and 1 percent said they sought medical treatment because of one or more side effects.

Can I mix Covid vaccines?

It is not recommended. At this time, recipients of the Pfizer vaccine are advised to receive a Pfizer booster, and Moderna and Johnson & Johnson recipients must wait until booster doses are approved for their manufacturer’s vaccine.

Some people who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine seek a Pfizer booster on their own. San Francisco health officials have said they will respond to those requests as long as people see their doctors first.