Los Angeles,
28
October
2021
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09:00 AM
America/Los_Angeles

HuffPost: If You’re Eligible for a COVID Booster Shot Right Now, Should You Get It?

Summary

Editor's Note: For the latest recommendations on booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines, please visit the Cedars-Sinai COVID-19 Vaccine Information FAQ.

HuffPost recently featured Michael Ben-Aderet, MD, associate medical director of Hospital Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai, discussing public health guidelines for people who are eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending booster doses for certain groups of people who received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago. Ben-Aderet told HuffPost that this guidance is "based on risk of acquiring COVID and risk of having a severe response to COVID."

According to public health authorities, individuals who should receive a booster dose include people 65 years or older, residents of long-term care facilities and people 50 to 64 years old who have underlying medical conditions. Individuals who may receive a booster dose if they choose include people 18 to 49 years old with underlying medical conditions and people 18 to 64 who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure or transmission based on occupational or institutional setting.

But getting a booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is a decision that should be discussed with a physician, Ben-Aderet told HuffPost. "If you’re already fully vaccinated, and you’re eligible for a booster, that decision of 'should you get it?' really kind of depends on your individual risk factors and your individual concerns," he said.

Ben-Aderet stressed that there is no reason to panic. He reassured readers that all three of the COVID-19 vaccines available in the U.S. are effective at preventing hospitalization and death and provide "a huge degree of protection."

Click here to view the complete article from HuffPost.