ST. LOUIS — About 60 million people are now eligible for additional doses of their Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine — the CDC now says anyone age 65 or older or with a compromised immune system should get another dose, and adults with certain health conditions and working in high-risk settings can opt for a booster as well. But what about the 40 million others who rolled up their sleeves for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine?
Dr. Rachel Presti at Washington University says there isn’t enough evidence at this point that a booster is necessary for everyone who wants one.
“We don't have data with a third dose of Pfizer in that in the younger, healthier population, I think that's a lot of the reason why there's caution in recommending a [universal] third dose of Pfizer,” said Dr. Presti. Meaning, we just don't know if it's necessary or helpful.
With the doses being administered on the honor system, there's technically nothing to stop you from going and getting another shot if you simply feel like you need extra protection. However, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor first. Dr. Presti says they’ll come to a conclusion based on your overall health and risk factors.
“It is reasonable to talk to your doctor about whether or not they think that what you're doing is putting you at a significant enough risk that it makes sense to get a Pfizer booster dose,” said Dr. Presti.
How about for those who got a breakthrough case -- tested positive for COVID-19 despite being fully vaccinated with Pfizer's shot? Dr. Presti says the antibodies that come with an infection are kind of like their own booster, though it's harder to measure the level of protection that comes with it. This is another thing you'll want to talk to your doctor about since there's no general rule at this point.
“I will say, most of the time when we tell people that, yes, you should go ahead and get a vaccine or you should go ahead and get a booster if they've had an infection, we do usually recommend that you wait three months or so until your immune system is kind of calmed down from whatever that that exposure was,” said Dr. Presti.
Doctors say even with talk of boosters, the vaccinations still work; for most people under age 65 or with healthy immune systems, those first two doses are still proving to be the most important when it comes to staying out of the COVID ward during this pandemic.