LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — After the FDA and CDC authorized and recommended an additional COVID-19 booster dose for those who are immunocompromised and over the age of 50, the Hartenstines wasted no time.
"We are older and you know, there's a potential that we can still get it and that's always a possibility," Dianne Hartenstine said.
Dianne's husband Kenneth jokingly calls the move a "super booster," but is serious when talking about its added protection. He gives an analogy of their effort as heading outside for a day in the rain. He says one may wear their jacket, then add some boots which all give some layers of protection. However, if one more layer is added, he questions what more there is to lose?
"Now if somebody offers us an umbrella as extra protection, why not?" Kenneth said. "Sure, we're not saying we won't get wet, but it will be so minimal that we might catch a cold, but we might not."
The Lancaster County couple knows firsthand what it is like to have an illness that does not have much security in health.
"When I catch a cold, I don't just catch a cold, I catch bronchitis," Kenneth said. "If there's anything that can help me, I know I can't eliminate catching colds, but it can reduce it so that I don't get bronchitis."
In 2017, Dianne unfortunately was diagnosed with sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection. Doctors diagnosed her with a 40% life expectancy. Thankfully, she recovered after months of rehabilitation, but the doctors warned that a common cold could be deadly.
Despite this, the couple understands the reluctance some still face with getting the primary doses of the COVID-19 vaccine but are asking for a change of mind for the sake of others.
"When you talk about COVID, we're going to be as cautious as we can, and I'd like to think that other people around us care to be cautious enough also," Kenneth said. "That's what we ask."