“I am a 62-year-old with asthma and due for my latest booster (five months since the last). Would the experts recommend that I go ahead now and get boosted or wait until September when the new subvariants vaccines will allegedly be available?” — Joe, Oakland Park
Joe, the experts are saying you should head to your pharmacy now and get the current booster. Don’t wait for the fall. You’re eligible for a second booster (fourth dose) if you are 50 or older and received your initial booster at least four months ago. Those who are younger and have a weakened immune system are also eligible.
Research from Israel shows that people older than 50 do benefit from a fourth shot, although not as much as they do from a third shot. Studies also show Pfizer and Moderna vaccines will shield you from getting severe disease that requires hospitalization, although they won’t prevent you from getting infected.
I asked Dr. Joanna Drowos, a family medicine professor at Florida Atlantic University’s medical school, what she thought about your situation and here’s what she advised: “Considering your age and underlying medical condition, the current recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is for you to receive a fourth dose of a COVID vaccine. Since your age is 50 years or older, if your primary series was either Pfizer or Moderna, and you received one of their boosters at least four months ago, you should get a second booster [using Pfizer or Moderna] now.
“These vaccines are still effective at preventing serious disease against the latest omicron subvariants, even if they don’t prevent all infections. Delaying receiving a booster allows your immunity to continue to fade, during a time when the risk of infection from circulating subvariants persists. There may also be a delay in when these variant-specific boosters will be available to the public, which could lengthen the time that you would not have full protection against serious disease.”
The New York Times reported on Aug. 23 that boosters targeting BA.5 and another subvariant of Omicron likely will be available next month, although there’s some debate about their effectiveness. The experts’ recommendation is still to go now; then you can get the newly developed booster in December, four months later.
I got a fourth shot in July and went through a process similar to what you’re going through. But I decided that now that we’re all out and about more and constantly exposed to the infection, I might as well get some extra protection as COVID persists with its relentless mutations.
Send me your questions about life in South Florida. I’m at AskLois@sunsentinel.com.
