Experts say Covid booster shot is essential this fall
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., (KRDO) - New data shows that less than two percent of adults in the U.S. have received an updated covid booster shot.
In El Paso county more than 10,300 doses of shots have been administered.
In Pueblo, 3,902 doses have been administered for the month of September.
Moderna's Chief Medical Officer says now is the time to get boosted with the latest Covid vaccine.
"What keeps happening with this virus is that it becomes more immunoevasion so that is why it is so important now we lean in, we get vaccinated, as a country and as a world get boosted, it builds what we call an immunity wall."
The updated Covid booster shot is meant to protect against the Omicron variant, but as the virus emerges there's a possibility that vaccines may too.
Now, they are discussing the possibility of yearly vaccines, Dr. Burton says this is because the vaccines tend to have different variants.
"The question people often have is: I got boosted earlier this year and then I got covid maybe once, twice over the summer, why is that? The answer is because the virus moved on and it evaded the antibodies that we were making in response to the original vaccine," added Burton.
Moderna's clinical human trial studies have shown the booster has targeted the omicron variant.
"That is why this newly updated vaccine is so important because it targets Omicron BA. 4 and BA. 5 and I think if you get boosted now you will get high antibodies specifically against Omicron and you will get protection," said Dr. Burton.
Experts say the low numbers of people getting boosted could be a result of covid and vaccination fatigue.
"I think there is also a sense that these newer strains of covid are less severe which is not the case, they are severe in young, severe in old, which leads to real impact," Dr. Burton remarked.
On Monday, both Pfizer and Moderna decided to seek FDA authorization for updated COVID-19 boosters for younger children, 5 to 11 and 12 to 17.
El Paso County Public Health immunization clinic is offering boosters on weekdays.
