(WGN Radio) – along with more than half of the US states Finding the “highest” level The covid virus in their sewage might make you feel like it’s time to get a booster shot. But the current situation leaves cautious Americans in a difficult position: Should they give up now amid summer travel plans and widespread infections, or wait a little longer for an updated version of the vaccine?
Dr. Jeffrey GobinChief Medical Officer Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest HospitalHe weighed the pros and cons in a recent interview with WGN radio.
The first thing to consider is your personal health and your age, Gobin said. If you’re 75 or older or have other health problems that make a covid infection more severe, it may increase your dose to get a booster now.
But even if you’re perfectly healthy, if you’re going on a major international trip, or if you’re going to greatly increase your exposure, you may want to get vaccinated sooner rather than later.
“If our friend wants to get vaccinated a week or two before the trip,” Cobbin hypothesized, “if our friend is exposed to COVID, the chance of contracting Covid is reduced—perhaps by 50%. The probability is reduced if the vaccine is given a week or two before departure for Europe.
Timing is important, Cobbin explained, because immediately after you’re vaccinated, your body will have an abundance of antibodies that fight off COVID.
“During that period, antibodies that attack the virus without attaching to cells in the person’s body are at their highest levels, and this can help reduce the chance of infection.”
The vaccine can help you prevent infection, but it’s a short window, he said. After a few weeks, the vaccine is very effective at preventing serious illness, but not as good at preventing infection.
Improved covid booster designed to target KP.2 strainAlthough the exact timing is not yet known, it is expected to be released as soon as next month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that most people Get it with an annual flu shot In September or October.
Last year, people who got the updated formula (instead of relying on the old vaccine) were more likely to stay healthy and stay out of the hospital, the CDC says.
Ultimately, Gobin said, whether you take the shot now or wait another couple of months is a personal decision. How worried you are about getting sick now depends on how serious it will be if you do get sick.
“For our older friends, it seems to be over 75, or people with chronic illnesses — especially illnesses that leave someone immunocompromised … Those people really need to be up-to-date on vaccines and be careful. But if you’re young and you’re healthy, In August 2024, basically all of us have plenty of immunity to Covid, and we’re unlikely to get very sick if we contract the virus.
Listen to Dr. Cobb’s interview in the player below.
People who want to hold off getting the vaccine until a new booster shot is available have other ways to increase their protection against the virus. While wearing a mask You can prevent catching or spreading a respiratory illness in a crowd or in public places.
