Should I get a COVID booster if I am a low risk for complications?

There is a lot of discussion now about whether all adults should get a booster for COVID, even if they are at a low risk for complications. If you have risk factors such as increased age or certain medical conditions that put you at a higher risk for complications from COVID-19, or you are in a job that puts you at higher risk of contacting people with COVID-19, you should definitely get the booster. However, there are many young and healthy people who are wondering if they should get the booster shot. While I can’t answer that question for everyone individually, here are some my thoughts about this:

• Many health experts are recommending that all adults ages 18 and over get a booster shot for COVID-19. From a public health standpoint, this makes sense. The booster shots have very few side effects and can provide additional protection against becoming infected. We do know that the immunity that you get from the regular series of the vaccine does begin to fade after a few months, and that getting a booster shot decreases your chance of getting infected with coronavirus, as well as making it less likely to transmit it to someone else. From a strictly public health standpoint, the more people that get a booster shot, the less likely they are able to transmit the virus to other people in the community who have not been vaccinated, can’t get vaccinated, or are at high risk for complications if they happen to get a breakthrough infection. Therefore, if you want to “do the right thing” and protect other people in the community, go ahead and get a booster shot even if you are at low risk.
• Some people understand that the risks of side effects from vaccines are very low, and they would like to be as protected as possible against all kinds of infections. Even if you are healthy and are at low risk for major complications from COVID-19, a small percentage of people who get the infection then develop long-term symptoms even after they recover, and the best way to prevent that is to avoid getting infected in the first place. If you are afraid of getting “long-haul” COVID-19 symptoms, you should go ahead and get a booster shot.
• Some people are not afraid of getting COVID-19, but they are around kids who are too young to get vaccinated, or are around people who are older or have significant medical conditions that puts them at risk for complications from the virus. You may be at risk for unknowingly transmitting the virus to these individuals, who can then develop a serious case of COVID-19. If you are in this situation, you should go ahead and get a booster shot.
• Some people may have had the full series of COVID-19 vaccine but then several months later, end up with a mild breakthrough case and are now totally recovered from it. These people can be considered as if they already had a “booster” by actually getting infected with the virus itself. Although the experts still say you should get a booster shot, I feel that it may not truly be necessary right away. It is unclear at this point whether getting infected with the Delta variant after receiving a full series gives you as much protection as a booster shot, but from a scientific standpoint, it is likely to give you pretty good protection. I would probably wait about 4-6 months after recovering from a breakthrough infection and then actually getting a booster shot at that point, although it would not hurt you if you get it earlier.
• Some people have been fully vaccinated but had significant side effects from the vaccines and are therefore hesitant to receive a booster shot. If your side effects were over within a few days and you have no residual from it, I would still say it is best to get the booster. If you feel like your symptoms were much more severe, you can certainly make an appointment and we can discuss your individual situation.
• If you are someone who is at low risk for complications, are not around anyone at risk for complications from COVID-19, and you plan on staying at home with very little interaction with other people for the next several months, that I feel that it is reasonable to hold off on a booster shot for now.

The bottom line is that if you are 18 years or older and want to get a booster, you should be able to get one. We will have both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines in the office, so call for an appointment.
 
The Omicron variant
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Just a quick word about the recent news this weekend regarding the discovery of the Omicron variant, initially seen in South Africa but now being found in many other countries around the world. Although many people are worried about this variant because it has so many mutations on the spike protein, we don’t know yet at this point if it is much more transmissible or possibly more deadly than the current Delta variant. More information will continue to be coming out within the next week or two. Remember that even if we do see more people that are hospitalized with a new variant, it does not mean that it is more deadly – it could just be more transmissible. If the old virus causes 10% of people to be hospitalized and it infects 1000 people, we will see 100 people in the hospital. However, if the new variant also causes 10% of people to be hospitalized but it is much more transmissible, it could infect 10,000 people, and we would therefore see 1000 people in the hospital. People should not panic at this point, but I would continue to wear masks indoors if you are going to be in close proximity with many other people. While that is true that the face masks we wear do not provide 100% protection against transmitting or becoming infected with coronavirus, it is certainly better than not wearing a mask. Furthermore, wearing a mask is respectful to the people around you, as they may be at higher risk for complications from the infection, and wearing a mask decreases the risk of you transmitting anything to them. Stay tuned, as more information about the Omnicron variant should be discovered in the next few weeks.