YORK, Pa. — People who are older, who have certain medical conditions, or who work and live in a place with high-risk exposure, are now eligible to get the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot.
“For people in whom the vaccine is still working very well, but we’re starting to see some evidence that the immune system needs a reminder," Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC’s medical director of Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology said.
According to the CDC, protection against hospitalization has dropped from about 85% to 70% for people over 65 in the past six months for the Pfizer vaccine and from about 90% to 85% for the Moderna vaccine.
Data presented at the CDC's advisory panel also suggested that vaccine effectiveness may have decreased slightly for adults with underlying conditions, though the data is preliminary.
“We want you to get the best possible immune response," Dr. Donald Yealy, UPMC’s chief medical officer said. "We want you to be ready in case you come in contact with the virus."
Health experts are calling the booster shots a "review lesson for your immune system."
“Immunity does, over time, change, and this will make sure that the lesson is taught, remains taught," Dr. Yealy said.
But they want to emphasize that there’s not a need or a gap in protection.
“There isn't a rush for this," Dr. Yealy concluded. "We will have a priority sequence so that we can manage getting extra doses in people, but it’s not because there’s a deficit of protection for the vast majority of the population."