SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – The latest COVID-19 variant has been causing a lot of concern, but it's unclear whether or not people should rush out to get another booster.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
It's the same booster that was introduced late last year, tailored to the omicron variants of the virus and targets BA.4 and BA.5 specifically. Anyone ages 65 and older or immunocompromised should go out and get one if they haven’t already.
"We're still seeing over 500 deaths a day in the U.S.," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine and infectious disease expert at the UCSF School of Medicine on KCBS Radio's "Ask an Expert" with Eric Thomas and Margie Shafer.
"Most of these are over the age of 70," he said. "Pretty much everybody in that group who's dying has not been boosted."
Many of those cases did get the original series of vaccines in 2020 though, making it clear just how much more effective the new booster might be.
This comes as the U.S. Navy has decried that it will no longer discipline or kick out sailors who refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Previously, more than 1,600 active duty sailors, 400 in the reserve, were discharged for not getting vaccinated.
But that was at the beginning of the pandemic, when the attitude around the virus was much different than it is now.
"Most people were not exposed, and not getting a vaccine was akin to having a high chance of probably going to the hospital, going to the ICU," said Chin-Hong.
Now the levels of exposure and subsequent immunity are much higher throughout the population, but this level of immunity can be inconsistent and depend on the frequency of exposure or vaccination.
"For a younger person it's probably less important," he said. But for an older person, it's important to give your immune system "reminders" of the virus.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
