Booster shots are now widely available in the U.S. But is that a good thing?
“I know [the World Health Organization] and other groups say, ‘Help the people overseas first before you go to boosters.’ I think they’re wrong. You have to help the people overseas, but it’s not going to come from boosters," said New York University bioethics professor Art Caplan.
According to Caplan, the supply is spread throughout the U.S. The doses would be difficult to gather and send it off to countries in desperate need of more COVID-19 shots but that may not have the infrastructure to make effective use of them.
So, people who need a booster should feel free to get one, said Caplan.
"There are clearly people who could benefit from boosters. People over 65, people who are immunosuppressed, and then I think there are people who just have a lot of exposure, policemen, fire, frontline health care workers, they should get a booster,” said Caplan.
“And then I think each person has to decide, ‘Am I in a category that has a lot of exposure? Am I working as a teacher? Am I exposed to a lot of folks?’ I don’t think the data is in that says you need it, but I would say I understand why you may want to err on the side of caution."
President Joe Biden, 78, said Monday he would be getting his booster shot. In a social media post, he said, "I’ll be getting my COVID-19 booster shot — and I encourage everyone who’s eligible to get theirs as well."
Among the Pfizer vaccine recipients eligible for a booster, at least six months after the second shot, are seniors and younger adults at high risk due to an underlying health problem or because of the "occupational or institutional setting" they are in.
Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UC San Francisco, said seniors "absolutely" should get a booster. People younger than 65 should consult a doctor.
She is not planning to get a booster unless the hospital she works for requires her to get one because she is confident about the protections the vaccine provides her.
Ultimately, Caplan thinks the question is not about taking a vaccine away from someone else, it’s about deciding if you as an individual need the extra jab.
“The issue is am I wasting a vaccine or just doing something unnecessary that I don’t need right now,” said Caplan.
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