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COVID Boosters
COVID boosters are an ever changing hot topic in healthcare & understanding new developments can be confusing. In this episode, Kristy Cassel addresses a few common questions about the COVID boosters.
Featuring:
Kristy Cassel, PharmD, BCGP
Kristy Cassel is a Director of Pharmacy for St. Francis Medical Center.Transcription:
Prakash Chandran: This COVID-19 St. Francis Medical Center podcast was recorded on December 9th, 2021.
COVID boosters are an ever-changing hot topic in healthcare, but understanding these developments can be confusing. Today, we'll be addressing a few common questions and getting more clarity with Kristy Cassel, Director of Pharmacy for St. Francis Medical Center.
This is Word On Wellness, the podcast from St. Francis Medical Center. My name is Prakash Chandran. So Kristy, it's really great to have you here today. Let's just start by you giving us a definition of what a booster is for our listeners.
Kristy Cassel: Sure. Thanks, Prakash. So a booster shot is just an additional dose of vaccine that we get to give us added protection after our original protection starts to decrease over time.
Prakash Chandran: Okay, understood. And is that booster shot the same shot that we got when we were vaccinated before? Or is it somehow made up of different things?
Kristy Cassel: So the booster shots are the same formulations as the original vaccines. The Moderna vaccine, however, is just half the dose.
Prakash Chandran: So who would you say should feel the most inclined to get a booster shot?
Kristy Cassel: So right now, the CDC and the FDA are recommending that we administer booster doses to the general population who are 18 years of age or older. If you originally received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you want to wait at least two months. And if you originally received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, you want to wait at least six months after the second dose to receive a booster dose.
Prakash Chandran: In terms of how they're rolling this out, is it still the same thing around the older population and the immunocompromised get first access and then the younger population goes next. Can you talk a little bit about who should be getting it and when?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So certainly those over the age of 65 are at higher risk for developing complications related to COVID. So we would certainly want to see those population get their booster doses as soon as possible. Those with competent immune systems, while they are certainly eligible to get a booster, they would not necessarily be at as high of a risk as someone over the age of 65 or someone who has a medical condition that may put them at higher risk for complications from COVID-19.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. And then when we talk about these booster shots, is it just one booster shot? Is it multiple? And how often do I need to get them?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So right now, we're just administering one booster dose and it would be after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine, which would be Moderna or Pfizer or after one dose of the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine.
Prakash Chandran: And this may be a hard question to answer, but how much protection does this booster shot give us and for how long?
Kristy Cassel: That's a great question and unfortunately not one we have an answer to right now. So as time goes on, the more information we collect, the more we are learning from these vaccines. So right now, we just know that the original protection from our vaccine seems to be decreasing over time, which is why we are in need of a booster right now. And as time goes on and we collect more information, we'll learn a little bit more about how long and how well these boosters are protecting us as well.
Prakash Chandran: And can you provide some clarity around how these boosters came to be? Like, I had loosely heard that the efficacy of the initial vaccine went down over time, so these boosters were required to keep you protected. Is that true? Is that something that you can speak to?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So with the variants of the COVID-19 virus coming out, there was obviously higher concern related to spreading the transmission of the disease, et cetera. So these pharmaceutical companies are conducting clinical trials and they're following their patients over time. They're sort of keeping an eye on the level of protection. They're looking at how quickly these variants are spreading, et cetera. And they did notice that there was a decrease in immune response related to our first either single dose vaccine or two dose vaccines. So clinical trials went underway. And they realized that a booster dose could help to kind of bolster our immune response and help to protect us against these newly emerging variants. So the CDC and the FDA review all of that data, and then they go from there and make their recommendation.
Prakash Chandran: So, is it fair to assume that likely because the booster is the same makeup as the initial vaccine, if people got it, that we'll probably need another booster because the efficacy will go down over time?
Kristy Cassel: Well, unfortunately, I think it's a little too soon to say that. I think we just have to see over time how we do and if we continue to see these emerging variants, it's all going to depend on that.
Prakash Chandran: Okay, that makes sense. And who exactly are these boosters available to? Like as of December 9th, 2021, are they available for children? Are they available only for the older population? Maybe talk a little bit about that?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So, as of today, we are authorized to administer doses to anyone 18 years of age and older. But just today, in fact, the FDA did decide that booster doses will be available to individuals 16 and 17-year-olds who received the Pfizer vaccine. So we are still waiting for some further information from the CDC on that, but we look forward to that happening in the next few days.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. And something that maybe I think you've loosely covered, but just to narrow in on is if I, for example, got the Moderna vaccine, do I need to get a Moderna-specific booster or can I get any booster that's available?
Kristy Cassel: So the great thing about booster doses is that you get to make that decision. So we can mix and match our booster doses. So regardless of what vaccine you received initially, you can decide which booster dose you would prefer to get. Most people would recommend that you stick with the same vaccine that you originally received for your primary series. But that we've had a lot of people who originally received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and may opt for an mRNA vaccine or vice versa.
Prakash Chandran: So another thing that I wanted to ask you is related to people that have already gotten COVID-19. You know, I'm hearing mixed things, but one of the things that I've heard is that if you've gotten COVID-19, you have the antibodies to protect you, so you don't need the vaccine or the booster. Is this something that you can speak to?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. Well, while having active COVID-19 infection certainly does give you natural immunity against the virus, again, we don't know enough about that immunity and how well it protects your or how long it does protect you. So it is still highly recommended that folks do get vaccinated regardless of whether or not they had COVID-19 in the past. And then they would also be eligible for a booster once the timing is appropriate.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. So just to be clear, they wouldn't go straight to a booster. They would get vaccinated first and then they would get their booster.
Kristy Cassel: Correct. They would obtain a primary series. And then when the timing is appropriate, they would also be eligible for a booseter.
Prakash Chandran: So another question that I wanted to ask is, you know, I'm sure you're probably aware that a lot of people are still very apprehensive about getting a booster shot or a vaccine in the first place, like even if they have their vaccine, maybe they don't want to put their body through, you know, that immunoresponse or they feel like they're protected enough. So can you speak to people that might be concerned about getting it for whatever reason and why it's important to do so?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. I certainly understand the hesitancy with obtaining another vaccine. What I would just say is that the variants that we are starting to see a little more frequently are definitely concerning and adding another layer of protection with a booster dose would be really important in protecting you as well as protecting others.
Prakash Chandran: And just as we start to close here, Kristy, is there anything else that you just want our audience to know about COVID boosters or COVID-19?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. COVID-19 booster doses are available at many locations across the state of New Jersey. I would encourage everyone to get out there six months after an mRNA vaccine or two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And let's help to end this pandemic.
Prakash Chandran: Couldn't agree more. Thank you so much for your time and for educating us today, Kristy. I really appreciate it.
Kristy Cassel: Thank you so much, Prakash.
Prakash Chandran: That's Kristy Cassel, Director of Pharmacy for St. Francis Medical Center. For more information, you can visit stfrancismedical.org. Thanks for listening to Word On Wellness from St. Francis Medical Center.
If you found this podcast to be helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. My name is Prakash Chandran. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll talk next time.
Prakash Chandran: This COVID-19 St. Francis Medical Center podcast was recorded on December 9th, 2021.
COVID boosters are an ever-changing hot topic in healthcare, but understanding these developments can be confusing. Today, we'll be addressing a few common questions and getting more clarity with Kristy Cassel, Director of Pharmacy for St. Francis Medical Center.
This is Word On Wellness, the podcast from St. Francis Medical Center. My name is Prakash Chandran. So Kristy, it's really great to have you here today. Let's just start by you giving us a definition of what a booster is for our listeners.
Kristy Cassel: Sure. Thanks, Prakash. So a booster shot is just an additional dose of vaccine that we get to give us added protection after our original protection starts to decrease over time.
Prakash Chandran: Okay, understood. And is that booster shot the same shot that we got when we were vaccinated before? Or is it somehow made up of different things?
Kristy Cassel: So the booster shots are the same formulations as the original vaccines. The Moderna vaccine, however, is just half the dose.
Prakash Chandran: So who would you say should feel the most inclined to get a booster shot?
Kristy Cassel: So right now, the CDC and the FDA are recommending that we administer booster doses to the general population who are 18 years of age or older. If you originally received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you want to wait at least two months. And if you originally received either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, you want to wait at least six months after the second dose to receive a booster dose.
Prakash Chandran: In terms of how they're rolling this out, is it still the same thing around the older population and the immunocompromised get first access and then the younger population goes next. Can you talk a little bit about who should be getting it and when?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So certainly those over the age of 65 are at higher risk for developing complications related to COVID. So we would certainly want to see those population get their booster doses as soon as possible. Those with competent immune systems, while they are certainly eligible to get a booster, they would not necessarily be at as high of a risk as someone over the age of 65 or someone who has a medical condition that may put them at higher risk for complications from COVID-19.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. And then when we talk about these booster shots, is it just one booster shot? Is it multiple? And how often do I need to get them?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So right now, we're just administering one booster dose and it would be after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine, which would be Moderna or Pfizer or after one dose of the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine.
Prakash Chandran: And this may be a hard question to answer, but how much protection does this booster shot give us and for how long?
Kristy Cassel: That's a great question and unfortunately not one we have an answer to right now. So as time goes on, the more information we collect, the more we are learning from these vaccines. So right now, we just know that the original protection from our vaccine seems to be decreasing over time, which is why we are in need of a booster right now. And as time goes on and we collect more information, we'll learn a little bit more about how long and how well these boosters are protecting us as well.
Prakash Chandran: And can you provide some clarity around how these boosters came to be? Like, I had loosely heard that the efficacy of the initial vaccine went down over time, so these boosters were required to keep you protected. Is that true? Is that something that you can speak to?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So with the variants of the COVID-19 virus coming out, there was obviously higher concern related to spreading the transmission of the disease, et cetera. So these pharmaceutical companies are conducting clinical trials and they're following their patients over time. They're sort of keeping an eye on the level of protection. They're looking at how quickly these variants are spreading, et cetera. And they did notice that there was a decrease in immune response related to our first either single dose vaccine or two dose vaccines. So clinical trials went underway. And they realized that a booster dose could help to kind of bolster our immune response and help to protect us against these newly emerging variants. So the CDC and the FDA review all of that data, and then they go from there and make their recommendation.
Prakash Chandran: So, is it fair to assume that likely because the booster is the same makeup as the initial vaccine, if people got it, that we'll probably need another booster because the efficacy will go down over time?
Kristy Cassel: Well, unfortunately, I think it's a little too soon to say that. I think we just have to see over time how we do and if we continue to see these emerging variants, it's all going to depend on that.
Prakash Chandran: Okay, that makes sense. And who exactly are these boosters available to? Like as of December 9th, 2021, are they available for children? Are they available only for the older population? Maybe talk a little bit about that?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. So, as of today, we are authorized to administer doses to anyone 18 years of age and older. But just today, in fact, the FDA did decide that booster doses will be available to individuals 16 and 17-year-olds who received the Pfizer vaccine. So we are still waiting for some further information from the CDC on that, but we look forward to that happening in the next few days.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. And something that maybe I think you've loosely covered, but just to narrow in on is if I, for example, got the Moderna vaccine, do I need to get a Moderna-specific booster or can I get any booster that's available?
Kristy Cassel: So the great thing about booster doses is that you get to make that decision. So we can mix and match our booster doses. So regardless of what vaccine you received initially, you can decide which booster dose you would prefer to get. Most people would recommend that you stick with the same vaccine that you originally received for your primary series. But that we've had a lot of people who originally received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and may opt for an mRNA vaccine or vice versa.
Prakash Chandran: So another thing that I wanted to ask you is related to people that have already gotten COVID-19. You know, I'm hearing mixed things, but one of the things that I've heard is that if you've gotten COVID-19, you have the antibodies to protect you, so you don't need the vaccine or the booster. Is this something that you can speak to?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. Well, while having active COVID-19 infection certainly does give you natural immunity against the virus, again, we don't know enough about that immunity and how well it protects your or how long it does protect you. So it is still highly recommended that folks do get vaccinated regardless of whether or not they had COVID-19 in the past. And then they would also be eligible for a booster once the timing is appropriate.
Prakash Chandran: Okay. So just to be clear, they wouldn't go straight to a booster. They would get vaccinated first and then they would get their booster.
Kristy Cassel: Correct. They would obtain a primary series. And then when the timing is appropriate, they would also be eligible for a booseter.
Prakash Chandran: So another question that I wanted to ask is, you know, I'm sure you're probably aware that a lot of people are still very apprehensive about getting a booster shot or a vaccine in the first place, like even if they have their vaccine, maybe they don't want to put their body through, you know, that immunoresponse or they feel like they're protected enough. So can you speak to people that might be concerned about getting it for whatever reason and why it's important to do so?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. I certainly understand the hesitancy with obtaining another vaccine. What I would just say is that the variants that we are starting to see a little more frequently are definitely concerning and adding another layer of protection with a booster dose would be really important in protecting you as well as protecting others.
Prakash Chandran: And just as we start to close here, Kristy, is there anything else that you just want our audience to know about COVID boosters or COVID-19?
Kristy Cassel: Sure. COVID-19 booster doses are available at many locations across the state of New Jersey. I would encourage everyone to get out there six months after an mRNA vaccine or two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. And let's help to end this pandemic.
Prakash Chandran: Couldn't agree more. Thank you so much for your time and for educating us today, Kristy. I really appreciate it.
Kristy Cassel: Thank you so much, Prakash.
Prakash Chandran: That's Kristy Cassel, Director of Pharmacy for St. Francis Medical Center. For more information, you can visit stfrancismedical.org. Thanks for listening to Word On Wellness from St. Francis Medical Center.
If you found this podcast to be helpful, please share it on your social channels and be sure to check out the entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. My name is Prakash Chandran. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll talk next time.
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