If you want a booster vaccination, be sure to ask THAT of your doctor first!


If you want a booster shot, ask your doctor this one question first, experts say! You should talk to your doctor before scheduling a third COVID vaccination.

Booster or no booster?

All over the world, people are planning a third vaccination with Pfizer’s vaccine, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have just approved additional doses for certain groups of people. According to the White House COVID Response Team, nearly one million people across the country have already scheduled their booster appointments for the coming weeks. However, these vaccinations are not yet necessary to be considered fully vaccinated, and many people are not yet eligible for another dose. Before making an appointment for your booster shot, some experts say you should consult your doctor.

Confusion over new recommendations!

One expert, told CNN that many people seem to be confused about the latest guidelines for booster shots and that there is a difference between those who should get an additional vaccination and those who are simply eligible for it.

Anyone receiving a third dose must have already received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine and have been vaccinated at least six months after the second dose. Wen clarified, however, that there are only three groups of people that the FDA and CDC specifically advise to receive a booster vaccination: People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised, people who are 65 years or older, and people who are 50 years or older and have an underlying disease that puts them at higher risk for severe COVID. “These people are recommended to receive a third Pfizer dose, and they should,” she said.

Many can already get a booster!

However, there is a broader group of people who are eligible for a booster shot, even if they don’t fall into those three groups. The FDA and CDC have also determined that anyone over the age of 18 who has an underlying disease or is at high risk for occupational or institutional reasons can also receive a booster.

“These individuals are not necessarily recommended to receive the booster vaccine, but they can receive it if they weigh their own risks and benefits in consultation with their physicians,” Wen explained.

Self-determination is important

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CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, also explained the agency’s decision to advise some people to get a booster shot, but still give others the option to get vaccinated as well. “We’ve given people the option to get vaccinated, but they have to determine their own individual risk and benefit,” Walensky said in a Sept. 26 interview on the CBS program Face the Nation.

As Wen said, you shouldn’t have to do that risk-benefit analysis yourself. “You don’t have to guess. You can talk to your doctor, you can talk to your pharmacist, you can go to someone who understands you, who knows your health history and can help you make a smart, wise decision,” Dr. Nina Radcliff, an anesthesiologist, told The National Desk.

According to the experts, there is clear data to suggest that a booster vaccination would be beneficial for older adults and would reduce the likelihood of COVID infection and severe disease. But the CDC advisory panel “essentially said that the benefit-risk calculation for those who are in the second, broader group is somewhat less clear,” she noted, adding that current vaccine protection against this group “still appears to be strong against severe infection.”

According to the CDC, the side effects reported so far after the Biontech/Pfizer booster vaccination are similar to those after the first two vaccinations. Pain at the injection site and fatigue were the most common reactions, and most side effects tended to be mild to moderate.

Still, certain people are allowed but not recommended to receive the booster vaccine because there is still some risk, albeit very small. “As with the 2-shot primary vaccine, serious side effects are rare but can occur,” the CDC said. The most worrisome of the severe reactions is myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle that is more common in male adolescents and young adults.

“It is important to note that myocarditis associated with mRNA vaccines is generally mild and resolves without long-term damage – and that COVID itself can cause myocarditis,” Wen said. “Still, it’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of the vaccine, especially if you’re a younger man, but also if you’re in the ‘may’ or ‘should’ category.”

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