BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) There's a lot of information lately on Covid boosters, from eligibility to availability and whether to mix and match. We asked Dr. Thomas Russo, chief of infectious disease at the University
at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine to help sort through it.
First, Russo addressed the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which about 15 million Americans received. "It's become clear that J&J hasn't performed quite as well as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine so this is what I would recommend. You could get a 2nd shot of the J&J. It will boost your immune response. However," Russo said, "If you get a booster with either mRNA vaccines (Pfizer or Moderna), you're going to get a far significantly greater immune response. That will likely translate into increased protection."
The Pfizer booster is a full dose while Moderna's booster is a half dose, compared to the initial shot that people received. Russo doesn't feel strongly one way or the other on which booster is better for a J&J recipient.
"I think the two of them (Pfizer and Moderna) are pretty close. There was a study that came out last week from NIH (National Institutes of Health) where Moderna had a little better response than Pfizer when it was used as a booster, after the J&J vaccine. But that was a full Moderna dose. What's being offered now is a half dose, so we don't really know for sure," he said.
What if someone had Covid and was vaccinated? We asked Dr. Russo if they need a booster?
"If you were previously infected, (and it's critical that it's unequivocally documented that you were infected), and you received one of the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer or Moderna, and got the full course, I think you can be patient and don't have to get a booster at this time. However, if you got the
J&J vaccine, I think it would be prudent to get the booster. Having said that, clinical data is limited when looking at immune responses. We'll learn more about this as we move forward."
Russo is the first doctor WBEN has interviewed who recognizes natural immunity with respect to Covid and booster shots.
In terms of getting the booster, Russo says data shows it is extraordinarily safe and well tolerated.
"Another point that people need to realize," said Russo, "even if you personally feel that due to your vaccination status, and a previous infection, that you're at very low risk for developing a serious disease, you still need to
look at yourself in the overall social bubble of who you interact with. If you're going to be interacting with individuals that are more vulnerable, then you want to max your protection as well. Not so much for you, but for those individuals who you interact with. I can't emphasize this point enough," said Russo. "It's not all about you. It's about who you interact with in the community. If we max our protection across our community, you will protect others."
Boosters are great, said Dr. Russo. They're going to help. But he reminds us that by far, the greatest benefit is getting shots in arms in those who remain unvaccinated.
