Are booster shots mandated for healthcare workers?

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage in the United States with cases and deaths on the rise — but there have been some encouraging signs from the rollout of two vaccines. On Tuesday, FDA approved Pfizer’s vaccine for emergency use. A day later Moderna also announced its own vaccine was safe and effective.

However, even as the US tries to roll out Covid-19 vaccines, another troubling new coronavirus concern is emerging: whether or not healthcare providers may mandate booster shots for their patients given that some people can become infected with a virus twice. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently said it could be more prevalent than previously believed if people are getting boosters often enough. So how effective are these types of shots at slowing the severity of coronavirus infections? Here’s what we know so far…

Who will get a booster shot?

When we talk about people getting a booster shot, you’re typically talking about frontline health workers such as nurses, doctors, and paramedics. But you’re also referring to long-term care residents like residents who need help breathing regularly. As things begin to open up again, this group should receive the next dose as soon as possible. There are three important reasons why a patient should get a third shot:

• You may become infected
• You may catch an infection at home
• You may spread your illness to others when you go out

So who shouldn’t get one

The risk of catching a serious condition from being infected with SARS-CoV-2, however, remains very low. We don’t yet know anything about its effect on long-term care residents. Also, those individuals might have other health conditions that make them more vulnerable and susceptible to reinfection. However, many Americans are still hesitant about having a third jab with a newly FDA-approved option.

Who is most likely to agree to get a booster?

Many of us were shocked early on by Pfizer’s announcement on November 23 that they had filed a request for authorization for their vaccine. This was quickly followed by Moderna submitting its application to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in January. It turns out both companies got approval requests within days of each other. While the timing may seem a little odd, it likely means patients and physicians in the US will continue rolling out third doses of their original injections long after the final vaccination was done. Meanwhile, Americans will also receive their second Pfizer or Moderna dose by the end of March. That would allow for around 30 million Americans to receive the same boost before the vaccine becomes mandatory.

How do the two mRNA vaccines work?

Each type of vaccine uses a piece of RNA (genetic material used by cells — known as messenger ribonucleic acid). Once inside your body, this molecule goes into your cell and starts building mRNA molecules. When the mRNA enters your cell, it tells your body which protein it should build and then copies its instructions to build those proteins. Eventually, this process makes cells develop specific antibodies against particular regions of the spike protein that the virus needs to enter them. These antibodies then fight off any viruses produced during the second shot.

Which Covid vaccines should I have?

One of the biggest differences between the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines is what kind of immune system you build once you’ve given the first round. A person who received either vaccine will have developed certain antibodies that protect them against Covid-19. They also have memory B cells that can now produce other kinds of protective antibodies if their bodies come into contact with the virus. In addition, both vaccines trigger different parts of your immune system that ultimately lead to protection. That means that the best strategy for people who've already been infected is to wait for two weeks to see if they can still develop sufficient immunity to prevent transmission. After that, you can start working toward becoming vaccinated.

What about the risks?

If you’re fully immunized with the initial shot, you shouldn’t gain any symptoms and they won’t appear until around six months from the time of your second dose. You should still follow precautions like wearing masks and social distancing. Are booster shots mandated for healthcare workers?, Booster, health, healthcare, covid, Your second jab is also much safer than having no immunity since you don’t have to worry about developing symptomatic Covid until about two years after the second jab. If you plan to get a third dose sometime after this, you can’t get sick and only have a few mild symptoms, the majority of which are the same ones as with previous viral infections. But if you have severe symptoms, especially any associated with high fever or shortness of breath — you might want to stop the vaccination.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there so I’d recommend consulting your doctor and medical team before giving your third jab if you’re over 65 or have certain underlying conditions.

Some other questions to ask yourself before administering a third injection include:

How many times will I need the vaccine? Can I still get my second jab? Do I need extra supplies? What kind of vaccine does mine need? Would I experience side effects or any other minor problems if I did get the real thing? Will I need a nurse or other professional staff member there with me? Is this something I take for granted? How long have I been sick? Does a positive Covid test mean I need to stick with the current regimen of treatment? Will I have side effects? Are there other important aspects of my life I need to worry about?

As for people who have gotten one or two vaccinations, talk to your doctor and make sure you don’t have any concerns about receiving the third jab. Patients who received the Pfizer vaccine should be able to get their second jab in no more than 21 days, according to Pfizer. Those who took Moderna’s vaccine should get theirs in 30 days. Both require two injections that must happen before the person can be considered fully immunized. And both should ideally take place two or three weeks apart from each other.