People seeking a COVID-19 booster vaccine dose in hopes of greater protection are doing so as the evidence relating to safety remains unclear, top experts said.
A journalist questioned Dr. Jay Butler, deputy director for infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Dr. Andrew Pavia, pediatric infectious diseases specialist at University of Utah School of Medicine, over potential safety concerns behind a third dose, noting some fully vaccinated people have sought out booster shots on their own.
“We’re keenly interested in knowing whether or not a third dose may be associated with any higher risk of adverse reactions, particularly some of those more severe although very rare side effects,” Butler told a virtual briefing. He reiterated data suggesting local reactions and rare side effects occur more frequently after the second dose in two-dose regimens.
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Scientists have not yet found evidence of waning immunity or declining levels of antibodies in fully vaccinated individuals, they reiterated, and questions remain whether boosters are necessary, when, and for whom.
