The New Normal: How do you know when to get a COVID-19 booster?

News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined this morning by Dr. Thomas McGinn to discuss COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.

News 12 Staff

Sep 27, 2021, 1:56 PM

Updated 1,165 days ago

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News 12's Elizabeth Hashagen was joined this morning by Dr. Thomas McGinn to discuss COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.
Pfizer booster shots are a go for people 65 and older, those with a high risk of severe illness with COVID-19, and those at high risk of exposure at work.
About 20 million Americans are eligible for a third shot of the Pfizer vaccine, the White House's COVID-19 coordinator said. Shots should be available at pharmacies, doctor's offices and sometimes at mass vaccination sites.
Can people who had Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines get the Pfizer booster?
A recent report shows more than 1 in 4 coronavirus cases are among children who are 5-11 years old — the highest ratio since the pandemic began. This is raising more questions about how best to keep kids safe as the highly infectious delta variant continues to surge.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released three studies highlighting the importance of using layered prevention strategies, including universal masking, to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus in schools.
The studies, published in the site's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report," found that school districts without a universal masking policy in place were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks. Nationwide, counties without masking requirements saw the number of pediatric COVID-19 cases increase nearly twice as quickly during this same period.
Antivirals are already essential treatments for other viral infections, including hepatitis C and HIV. One of the best known is Tamiflu, the widely prescribed pill that can shorten the duration of influenza and reduce the risk of hospitalization if given quickly.