BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - With the Covid conversation turning to booster shots, the Chief of Infectious Disease at the Jacobs school of Medicine at the University at Buffalo, Dr Tom Russo, says, without question, the delta variant is the major driver behind the push.
"They want to get ahead of it," said Dr. Russo on WBEN Thursday morning. He said there is some soft data from Israel that is concerning health officials
that protection is waning for those who are fully vaccinated.
He says booster shots will be recommended for everyone who is vaccinated.
"They're still waiting on data for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. But I anticipate that will be forthcoming," said Russo. "In fact, I think that's the group that would benefit most. We already have data from South Africa that shows protection against hospitalization for the J & J vaccine is only 71%. The Moderna and Pfizer mRNA vaccines offer 93% to 95% protection."
Dr. Russo went on to say, "One could almost make an argument that the J & J people should be first in terms of getting a booster. But the FDA wants to wait on data that they anticipate receiving from the company in the very near future."
Everyone that's been vaccinated would be eligible for a booster, but the order would be in terms of when you were vaccinated, starting with the people who were vaccinated first and then moving down the line. "The Delta variant is confounding and confusing," said Russo. He said health officials are still sorting out how much is due to waning immunity, or a stronger variant, or unregulated social behavior.
Russo admits details and data on vaccine effacacy are sparse. "I think they're just trying to get ahead of it, and be prepared."
Is all of this making the goal of convincing the unvaccinated to get the shot that much more elusive? "That's a real concern," said Russo. "If I was involved in the decision making process, I would still prioritize the unvaccinated. That is the greatest value in preventing bad outcomes and deaths and not overwhelming healthcare systems such as we're seeing in the South right now."
There is still a lot to learn about the booster shot. Will it be the same shot as the first two in the series, or different ? "The National Institute of Health (NIH) is looking at a half dose versus a full dose for the booster. I suspect by the time September 20th rolls around, we'll have more information, but right now we don't know," said Russo.
