Two new COVID booster shots are available to the public. Here's what Columbus doctors think you should know about them.
"We're still seeing a fair number of people who are currently getting their first COVID infection," said Dr. Mark Herbert, an infectious disease specialist for Mount Carmel Health."That's good evidence that even though they had protection early, the virus strains are changing and that immunity may no longer be protective."
The new boosters include one made by Pfizer and another by Moderna. With the rollout beginning, The Dispatch asked Herbert and Gastaldo to weigh in on them and what Ohioans should know.Anyone who has had the original two doses of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine is eligible for the new bivalent booster, regardless of if they've had any previous booster shots, the doctors said.
Central Ohioans can get the new booster if they're at least two months out from a previous booster dose, Gastaldo said.Previous infection may protect some from reinfection for up to 90 days, the doctors said. People should wait at least two weeks after infection before getting the new booster, Herbert said.
COVID cases peaked in January in Ohio last winter at 32,000 per day, according to the Ohio Department of Health. The state no longer reports daily case totals, and at-home testing makes it unclear how many infections there are at any point in time."The pandemic is still going on, and the virus is not going away," Gastaldo said.As with last fall's booster shots, the new COVID booster can be given at the same time as a flu shot.