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Health experts answer the question: Who needs a 2nd COVID-19 booster shot?
John Cardinale
National Investigative Correspondent
Health experts answer the question: Who needs a 2nd COVID-19 booster shot?
YOU’RE WATCHING KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS IN NEW MEXICO. WE ARE SEEING AN UPTICK IN COVID CASES. IT’S HAPPENING AS MANY ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR SECOND BOOSTER. ACTIVATOR JOHN CORNELLI JOINED US NOW AND JOHN RECENTLY. THERE IS A TELEX SENT OUT ABOUT THIS. YEAH, KAYLA AND DOUG, THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT IF YOU’RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED YOU MAY HAVE RECENTLY RECEIVED THE TEXT THAT LOOKED SOMETHING LIKE THIS TELLGIN YOU YOU’RE ELIGIBLE FOR YOUR SECOND BOOSTER SHOT. BUT FOR THOSE WHO AREN'’ IMMUNOCOMPROMISE THE QUESTION IS DO YOU NEED TO GET ANOTHER BOOSTER? WE TOOK THAT QUESTION TO LOCAL DOCTORS DOCTORS IN NEW MEXICO SAY IF YOU’RE NOT SURE ABOUT GETTING A SECOND COVID-19 BOOSTER SHOT. YOU SHOULD LOOK AT CDC GUIDANCE, YOU KNOW, THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT ANYBODY WH’'S OVER 50 WHO HAS HIGH RISK CONDITNSIO FOR COVID SHOULD RECEIVE A BOTH A BOOSTER IF IT’S MORE THAN FOUR MONTHS SCEINHEIR LAST BOOSTER AND WHAT ABOUT THOSE UNDER 50? WELL THE RECOMMENDATION THERE IS THAT BETWEEN THE AGES OF FIVE AND ELEVEN. THEY DON’T RECEIVE BOOSTERS, OKAY? TO ORVE THE AGE OF 16 OF THEIR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED DEFINITELY THEY SHOULDET G A BOOSTER RIGHT NOW. THE STATE IS SEEING AN INCREASE IN CASES WHIT A SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE OF 601 CASES THE NUMBERS WE DO REPORT ARE SORT OF, YOU KNOW BEST CASE SCENARIO. AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP DR. JEFF. SALVIN HARMON WITH PRESBYTERIAN HEALTH SAYS BECAUSE AT HOME TESTS AREN’T REPORTED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. UNLESS SOMEONE CALLS IN THOSE NUMBERS ARE LIKELY HIGHER. WE’RE SEEING THE OMICRON. TO SUBARIANT THAT’S TAKING HOLD AND IT’S PART OF THISHIS T URGE THAT THEY WERE STARTING TO EXPERIENCE WIT NH VARIANTS EMERGING THOSE WHO NEED TO GET A BOOSTER WILL LIKELY HAVE TO GET IT EVERY FOURO T SIX MONTHS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO, I THINK IT’S REASONABL TEO EXPECT THAT IN THE NEXT. TWO YEARS BYWO YEARS FROM NOW THAT THIS WILL PROBABLY JUST BE A SEASONAL WINTER INFTIECON AND SO AN ANNUAL COVID BOOSTER ALONG WITH AN ANNUAL FLU BOOSTER FLU SHOT IS IS PRETTY REASONABLE TO EXPECT AND IT’S ALSO RECOMMENDED THAT IF YOU LIVE WITH SOMEONE WHO IS IMMUNOCOMPROMISED YOU SHOULD GET THE BOOSTER BECAUSE YOU MAY BE ABLE TO CARRY COVID ASYMPTOMATICALLY. I’M JOHN CARDINELLI REPORTING KOAT ACTNIO 7 NEWS IMPORTANT INFORMATION JOHN. THANK YOU. OH, THERE ARE NOW MEDICATIONS THAT CAN BAT COVID. IT IS STILL R
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Health experts answer the question: Who needs a 2nd COVID-19 booster shot?
John Cardinale
National Investigative Correspondent
Doctors say if you're not sure about getting a second COVID-19 booster shot, you should look at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. “The recommendation is that anybody who's over 50 who has high risk conditions for COVID should receive a both a booster if it's more than four months since their last booster,” Dr. Vesta Sandoval, with Lovelace Health, said. What about those under 50? “The recommendation there is that between the ages of 5 and 11, they don't receive boosters, but those over the age of 16, if they are immunocompromised, they should get a booster,” Sandoval said. Dr. Salvon-Harman said because at-home tests are not reported to the health department unless someone calls in, those numbers are likely higher. “We're seeing the omicron BA2 sub-variant that is taking hold and that's part of this surge that we are starting to experience,” Salvon-Harman said. With new variants emerging, those who need to get a booster will likely have to get it every four to six months for quite some time. “I think it's reasonable to expect two years from now, that this will probably just be a seasonal winter infection. And so an annual COVID booster, along with an annual flu booster flu shot is reasonable to expect," Salvon Harman said. It’s also recommended that if you live with someone who is immunocompromised you should get the booster because you may be able to carry COVID-19 asymptomatically. Watch the video above for the full story.

Doctors say if you're not sure about getting a second COVID-19 booster shot, you should look at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance.

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“The recommendation is that anybody who's over 50 who has high risk conditions for COVID should receive a both a booster if it's more than four months since their last booster,” Dr. Vesta Sandoval, with Lovelace Health, said.

What about those under 50?

“The recommendation there is that between the ages of 5 and 11, they don't receive boosters, but those over the age of 16, if they are immunocompromised, they should get a booster,” Sandoval said.

Dr. Salvon-Harman said because at-home tests are not reported to the health department unless someone calls in, those numbers are likely higher.

“We're seeing the omicron BA2 sub-variant that is taking hold and that's part of this surge that we are starting to experience,” Salvon-Harman said.

With new variants emerging, those who need to get a booster will likely have to get it every four to six months for quite some time.

“I think it's reasonable to expect two years from now, that this will probably just be a seasonal winter infection. And so an annual COVID booster, along with an annual flu booster flu shot is reasonable to expect," Salvon Harman said.

It’s also recommended that if you live with someone who is immunocompromised you should get the booster because you may be able to carry COVID-19 asymptomatically.

Watch the video above for the full story.