COVID Vaccine Booster Information

Right now we do NOT have any COVID-19 vaccines in the office. Vaccine storage requirements recently changed, and we are in the process of getting re-certified. The earliest we will get any is November 1, but it is not guaranteed. Please do not call the office to schedule any boosters until after that date. If you get the booster at a local pharmacy, please let us know so we can document it. With the CDC coming out with their guidelines last week, here is what I am recommending regarding COVID-19 vaccine boosters:

• Pfizer: Boosters have already been authorized and are recommended at least six months after your second dose of Pfizer if you fall into the following categories:
  • You SHOULD get a booster if you are 65 years or older; or you live in a long-term care setting; or you are age 50-64 and have underlying medical conditions ; or you age 50-64 and are at increased risk of social inequity 
  • You MAY get a booster if you are age 18-49 and have underlying medical conditions or are at increased risk of social inequity; or you are age 18-64 with no underlying medical conditions but are in an occupation which puts you at a higher risk of exposure to COVID.
• Moderna: Boosters are now authorized and are recommended at least six months after your second dose if you fall into the following categories:
  • You SHOULD get a booster if you are 65 years or older; or you live in a long-term care setting; or you are age 50-64 and have underlying medical conditions; or you age 50-64 and are at increased risk of social inequity.
  • You MAY get a booster if you are age 18-49 and have underlying medical conditions  or are at increased risk of social inequity; or you are age 18-64 with no underlying medical conditions but are in an occupation which puts you at a higher risk of exposure to COVID.
  • Unlike Pfizer, the Moderna booster is half the strength as the original two shots. This is important because there is a difference between the Moderna booster versus the Moderna third shot. Boosters are given in individuals who have received a full series of the vaccine, but over time, their antibody levels fall and therefore need a “boost” to increase the antibodies again. On the other hand, third shots are recommended in individuals who have a compromised immune system, and therefore their two shots never get to an acceptable level of protection. They need that third shot to get their antibodies high enough to protect against COVID-19. These third shots are actually a full-size dose of the vaccine, not the half-size shot for boosters. Individuals who need this third shot include people who are actively being treated for cancer, have a diagnosed immune system deficiency, or are on immune suppressing drugs. If you are unsure if you fall into this category, please contact our office.
• Janssen/Johnson & Johnson: Boosters are now authorized and are recommended at least two months after your second dose for EVERYONE. The single shot vaccine does not appear to be as effective as the other two, so it is recommended that everyone get a booster shot.
• If you do not fall into any of the categories for receiving a booster but would still like to receive one, please contact the office and we will put you on our list. As before, we will likely have doses that will need to be thrown away at the end of the day if they are not given out. We can contact you to see if you want to get a booster dose instead of having that dose thrown away.

With regards to the “mix and match” of vaccines, there are some studies that show that using a different vaccine as a booster may lead to a higher increase in your antibodies. At this point, I would only recommend that if you got the Johnson & Johnson shot initially, you get a Pfizer or Moderna booster as your booster shot. Studies show that a second Johnson & Johnson shot does increase your antibodies, although not to the degree as a booster with the other two vaccines. Some individuals who got the Johnson & Johnson shot did so because they wanted to avoid the other two, and if that’s the case, then by all means get a second booster of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Also, there was a study showing that Moderna as a booster may lead to a numerically higher amount of antibody production compared to Pfizer, but it is unclear how significant this is. Therefore, if you had Pfizer for the first two shots, I am not recommending that you get Moderna over the Pfizer booster, but if you want Moderna as your booster, we will be able to give that to you as well. The vast majority of studies for boosters are with the same shot as the first two.
Finally, there has been some information about a new pill from Merck that has been shown to be helpful in treating COVID-19, but it is currently not approved. When more information is available, we will contact you again.