The Perfect Enemy | Mass. doctor on push for Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters

Mass. doctor on push for Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters

♪ >> YOU’RE WATCHING WCVB NEWSCENTER 5 AT 5:30. ♪ ERIKA: THE U.S. COULD SEE 1,000 DEATHS PER DAY FROM COVID-19 THIS WINTER, IF THE RATE OF BOOSTER SHOTS DOES NOT IMPROVE. HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IS DR. PAUL SAX, CLINICAL DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL. THANKS FOR JOINING US. DR. PAUL SAX THANKS — DR. SAX: THANKS FOR HAVING ME. BEN: RIGHT NOW, THE U.S. IS AVERAGING ABOUT 400 DEATHS A DAY FROM COVID, SO THAT MEANS, ACCORDING TO THIS FORECAST, THE RATE COULD MORE THAN DOUBLE IN A MATTER OF WEEKS. WHY DO SOME RESEARCHERS BELIEVE MORE BOOSTER SHOTS COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE? DR. SAX: WE HAVE SEEN DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT BOOSTER SHOTS REDUCE THE SEVERITY OF COVID-19, IN PARTICULAR IN VULNERABLE POPULATIONS — PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER, UNDERLYING MEDICAL ROBLEMS, THEY SHOULD REALLY GO OUT AND GET THEIR CODE — GET THEIR COVID BOOSTER AS SOON AS THEY CAN. ERIKA: THE CDC AUTHORIZED UPDATED BOOSTER SHOTS BEFORE KNOWING FOR SURE HOW MUCH PROTECTION THEY ACTUALLY OFFER AGAINST THE CURRENT OMICRON STRAINS. WHEN DO YOU THINK WE’LL LEARN HOW WELL THEY’RE WORKING? DR. SAX: THEY ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE LIKELIHOOD OF PEOPLE DEVELOPING COVID IN THOSE WHO HAD A VACCINE VERSUS THOSE WHO DID NOT HAVE A VACCINE. WE SHOULD THIS SEASON GET A SENSE OF WHETHER THIS NEW BOOSTER IS WORKING. I HAVE A SENSE THAT WILL, BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN TUNED IN PARTICULAR TO THE OMICRON VARIANT. AND WE HAVEN’T HAD ANY COVID VACCINES YET ONLY CRAUN, WHICH IS VERY WIDELY CIRCULATING. BEN: WE’RE STILL GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS FROM VIEWERS ABOUT WHEN TO GET AN UPDATED BOOSTER, AND IF YOU GET IT WITH THE FLU VACCINE, WHETHER YOU SHOULD GET THE SHOTS IN DIFFERENT ARMS. I HAVE MY APPOINTMENT NEXT THURSDAY, THE MADONNA BY — MODERNA BIVALENT BOOSTER. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND FOR YOUR PATIENCE? DR. SAX: I RECOMMEND ONE ANY CHART TO THE SORE ARM IS A COMMON SIDE EFFECT OF THE COVID VACCINES. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THEY WOULD INTERFERE WITH ONE ANOTHER. IF YOU CAN’T STAND TO HAVE YOUR ARM, EITHER ARM OUT OF COMMISSION FOR A WHILE, MAYBE GO AHEAD AND GET IT IN ONE ARM. BUT MOST PEOPLE SHOULD GET IT IN ONE ARM. ERIKA: I DID THE ONE ARM FOR SLEEPING PURPOSES LEFT ARM. IT WAS OK. BEN: BOTH ARMS IS AN EXCUSE NOT TO GO TO THE GYM. ERIK

Mass. doctor on push for Americans to get COVID-19 vaccine boosters

Brigham and Women’s Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of infectious diseases, explains the push to get more COVID-19 booster shots in Americans arms by years end.