Category: Covid-19 Vaccine

Leigh Beeson| University of Georgia

If you got the COVID-19 shots back in early spring, your antibodies are likely waning. But its not something you need to be worried about, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

Overall, antibody levels are decreasing, but their ability to protect against infection isnt, saidTed Ross, lead author and the director of UGAsCenter for Vaccines and Immunology. The quality is still there even if the total quantity has gone down.

Published in Frontiers in ImmunologysVaccines and Molecular Therapeutics, the study found that vaccination results in a significantly more robust immune response than seen in people who contracted the coronavirus naturally.

Vaccinated participants showed higher levels of neutralizing antibodies, which serve as lookouts for viruses and alert the bodys immune system when its been infected. These individuals antibodies were also more effective at binding with the virus, which prevents it from latching onto and infecting cells.

More: UGA to require some employees to get COVID-19 vaccine, be fully vaccinated by Dec. 8

Additionally, the study showed that for most people who were infected with the virus, a single shot of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine was enough to make them fully immune to the coronavirus. Some may require both shots to be fully protected, though, and theres currently no way to tell who does or doesnt. So, Ross recommends that everyone even those whove had COVID-19 receive the second shot. It doesnt hurt you to get the second one, he said.

The research is part of a large-scale, multi-year surveillance program with more than 3,100 participants, ranging from 18 to 90 years old. They give blood and saliva samples each month so the researchers can track their immune response to vaccination or natural infection.

The takeaway is that even if you have waning antibodies, the quality of those antibodies still protect you against severe disease and hospitalization, said Ross, who is also a professor in UGAsCollege of Veterinary Medicine. People were concerned that if you had waning antibody levels, you would become susceptible to the virus again. But right now that doesnt seem to be the case for most people.

The CDC recently recommended booster shots for older adults, those with underlying medical conditions and people who work or live in high-risk settings if they received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine series six or more months ago. The agency also encourages a booster for everyone who received the one-shot Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine.

Some health care experts questioned whether booster access should be expanded to all due to the uncertainty surrounding the vaccines long-term efficacy in staving off disease.

But people who were vaccinated in the spring and dont qualify for a booster shouldnt panic.

Now I dont know what will happen in another six months or another 12 months, but right now, if you were vaccinated in the spring, you should still have protective antibodies in you, Ross said. The elderly tend to lose their immunity more quickly. We see that with influenza too. Thats why they have to get vaccinated again. Younger people can maintain it longer.

That being said, if youre eligible for a booster, go for it.

My attitude is that if youre offered one, you should get one. It cant hurt you, Ross said. And unfortunately, here in the U.S., many of the vaccines are being thrown away because they reached their expiration date. Its unfortunate that were not shipping them around the world to other people who need them, but if the alternative is throwing them away, I say get a booster shot.

In addition to getting the COVID-19 vaccine series, social distancing and wearing masks are still one of the most important ways to stop the spread of the disease.

This study was funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Co-authors include David Forgacs, Hyesun Jang, Rodrigo Abreu, Hannah Hanley, Jasper Gattiker and Alexandria Jefferson, all from UGAs Center for Vaccines and Immunology.

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Do you need a COVID-19 booster shot? UGA study looks at vaccine protection - Online Athens

Biden announces sweeping new vaccine mandates for 100 million Americans

Speaking at the White House, Biden sharply criticized the roughly 80 million Americans who are not yet vaccinated, despite months of availability and incentives.

U.S. Navy sailors who refuse to comply with the coronavirus vaccine mandate will be discharged and could face other administrative actions.

"In order to ensure a fully vaccinated force, U.S. Navy policy is to process for separation all Navy service members who refuse the lawful order to receive the COVID-19 vaccination and do not have an approved exemption," the NAVADMIN said in a statement Monday.

The COVID Consolidated Disposition Authority, led by Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. John Nowell Jr. and Chief of Naval Reserve Vice Adm. John Mustin, will also separate sailors who fail to get the vaccine.Sailors who dont comply and are only separated for refusing the vaccine could receive as low as a general discharge under honorable conditions, Navy Times reported.

RELATED: 100-year-old WWII veteran receives almost 800 birthday cards: 'It's been amazing'

Active-duty sailors had until Nov. 14 to get their last dose of the vaccine, in order to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 28. Members of the Navy Reserve have until Dec. 14 to get their last dose of the vaccine.

Sailors who reject the vaccine could also lose education benefits, promotions and bonus pay.

Another Navy ship at sea has reported a coronavirus outbreak and is returning to port, the Navy said Friday.

"Bonuses, special pays and incentive pays become unearned when a Navy service member refusing the vaccine is no longer performing duties for which they are receiving such a bonus, special pay, or incentive pay," the NAVADMIN states.

"Navy service members refusing the vaccine who are in a frocked status should be defrocked as soon as feasible," the statement added.

Sailors who are denied religious or medical exemptions have five days to start the process of getting fully vaccinated or the Navy begins the separation process.

RELATED: Wounded veterans being recruited as baseball umpires in their communities

Ninety-six percent of active-duty sailors and 93 percent of the total force are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Navy on Nov. 10. The branch has not approved any religious exemption requests, Navy Times reported, and only six permanent medical exemptions were approved.

The Department of Defense announced in late August that all members of the military must get vaccinated, President Biden mandated that all federal employees be fully vaccinated by Nov. 22.

Read more of this story on FOX News.

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Navy sailors who refuse COVID-19 vaccine will be discharged, face other administrative actions - FOX 5 Atlanta

by: Darren Kramer, Nexstar Media Wire

(WTNH) Most people in Connecticut who are eligible have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 which is just over 70%. But there are still thousands who refuse to get the vaccine.

Who are they, and why wont they get the shot?

One is a registered nurse, who despite having seen the ravages of COVID-19 firsthand, refuses to get the vaccine.

Camile, who did not provide her last name, is a registered nurse at a major Connecticut hospital and worked in the COVID ward. She watched people suffer and die and even caught COVID-19 from a patient who died from it. Yet, she still refuses to be vaccinated.

I feel just everything was rushed. I dont feel there is enough evidence to make an educated decision on if the vaccine is safe and effective, Camile said.

Keith Grant, the Senior System Director for Infection Prevention at Hartford HealthCare, agrees that the vaccine development was historically fast, but it worked, he said.

Over 5 billion people have gotten the vaccine. The impact of the vaccine, if you look in Europe, they are now having soccer games. A soccer game in Europe is 100,000-plus people, Grant said.

Camile has a vaccine exemption from her hospital, and shes tested regularly. She has three sons who are all unvaccinated as well. Her 16-year-old son wants the shot, but she wont let him get it.

My 16-year-old has asked me several times, Can I just get vaccinated, Camile said. I said no. Until you are 18, [when] you can make your decision, but until that time, well have more evidence and more knowledge.

Camile said she is concerned about COVID and the safety of her sons, but she added, Theyre kids. I feel like theyd be able to bounce right back.

Grant said not getting vaccinated is playing the odds.

Most kids do very well with COVID-19, but you add vaccines to that and you add your mask and you add proper social distance, it puts you in a much better position, Grant said. And this is not a position that is preventing anything but death. Thats a big thing.

Camile says for her, its about freedom.

I think the government should not be able to tell us what to put in our bodies, she said.

Despite her fight over getting vaccinated, Camile said her primary concern hasnt changed.

Our number one concern is our patients. No matter what, the Connecticut nurse said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 58% of Americans have been fully vaccinated against the virus, and over 68% have received at least one dose.

The CDC says the COVID-19 vaccines are effective at helping protect against severe disease and death from the virus that causes COVID-19, including known variants.

The benefits of COVID-19 vaccinationoutweigh the known and potential risks, which are rare, the CDC said.

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Nurse tells why shes refusing COVID shot, not letting her kids get it either - fox8.com

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Puerto Rico Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi has issued an Executive Order (EO) requiring all private sector employers with at least 50 employees to adopt COVID-19 vaccine or testing requirements.

Under EO 2021-075, which is similar in scope to the recentOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard, such employers must require their employees to provide:

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination;

A negative test result at least every seven days; or

Certified proof of recovery within the last three months from COVID-19.

Although the EO went into effect immediately, covered employees will have 45 days, or until December 30, 2021, to complete their vaccination cycles and submit proof of vaccination to their employers.

The EO also consolidates into a single document the requirements imposed bypast executive orders. Requirements such as verification of vaccination status for visitors of certain industries, including restaurants, beauty salons, barbershops, aesthetics salons, spas, gyms, casinos, theaters, and other establishments in the dining and entertainment industries,remain in place.

The EO provides that private-sector employers with fewer than 50 employees are not required to comply for now. However, the EO says these employers are urged to take measures such as requiring proof of vaccinations or proof of results.

Similar toprior executive orders, employers must corroborate vaccination by inspecting the immunization certificate (COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or Vacu ID) or a document establishing the employee has completed or begun the vaccination process. Employees must submit proof of vaccination in order to be allowed into the work area.

Employees who work for employers with at least 50 employees must provide proof that, by November 30, 2021, they have initiated the vaccination process. They must then certify to the employer that they have received the second dose of the vaccine, if the type of vaccine that was administered requires it. Employees will have until December 30, 2021, to complete the vaccination process.

Employees who do not provide proof of vaccination and who are not vaccinated must submit a COVID-19 negative test result at least every seven days or a positive COVID-19 result within the last three months and proof of recovery.

Employees who fail to comply with the mandatory vaccination requirements or provide the required results will not be allowed to be physically present in the work area. For such an employee, the employer can implement applicable pertinent measures, including allowing the employee to use relevant leave of absence or unpaid leave, if applicable.

The EO urges employers to permit employees to get vaccinated during working hours and permit the use of sick leave to recover from secondary effects, if any.

The term employee is to be interpreted liberally to include any person who physically works in a location, except suppliers. The term includes persons who provide services on a voluntary basis.

The EO eliminates the religious and medical exemptions provided inprior executive orders. Further, employees who are not vaccinated (for any reason) must present negative COVID-19 test results at least every seven days or submit certified proof of recovery within the last three months from COVID-19. Prior executive orders required test results on the first day of the workweek.

Failure to comply with the EO may result in fines of up to $5,000, six months in jail, or both, at the discretion of a court.

Jackson Lewis P.C. 2021National Law Review, Volume XI, Number 320

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P.R. COVID-19 Vaccine Mandatory for Employers of 50+ Employees - The National Law Review

COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Hospitalizations and Death Among Patients With Cirrhosis  Psychiatry Advisor

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COVID-19 Vaccines Reduce Hospitalizations and Death Among Patients With Cirrhosis - Psychiatry Advisor

Promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: recommendations from the Lancet Commission on Vaccine Refusal, Acceptance, and Demand in the USA  The Lancet

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Promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: recommendations from the Lancet Commission on Vaccine Refusal, Acceptance, and Demand in the USA - The Lancet

The COVID-19 pandemic has been rife with rumors and misinformation, some of it is intentional. The World Health Organization (WHO) went so far as to say there were two pandemics, COVID-19 and medical misinformation. Yet another rumor has been going around:the COVID-19 vaccines cause changes in womens menstrual cycles.

COVID-19 Vaccines Not Linked to Menstrual Changes

A study in the U.K. of 1,273 women found no correlation. Earlier studies did suggest a link was possible and should be investigated, but this new study supports the idea of no association.

We were unable to detect strong signals to support the ideathat the vaccines affect timing or flow of menstrual cycles, said Dr. Victoria Male, from Imperial College London. She added that more extensive studies or studies in other countries might find links. Its important to note that most people who report such a change following vaccination find that their period returns to normal the following cycle.

OK to Get Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines at Same Time

Another study also found that it was safe to give COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccines to people simultaneously. This study was published in The Lancet. Theresearchers assigned 697 adults to receive their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine or the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine with one of three flu vaccines for the 20202021 flu season (FluAd, Flucelvax or Flublok) or a placebo. The antibody responses werent adversely affected and most reactions were mild or moderate.

Lung Cancer Patients Benefit from mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines

In good news, a study found that lung cancer patients who receivetreatments that suppress their immune system still benefit from mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. This small study was conducted on 306 lung cancer patients in France, 70% of whom had received immunosuppressive therapies. Patients who had COVID-19 antibodies from a previous infection were give one shot, but most received both. Approximately 10% of the patients didnt develop antibodies in response to the first two doses and were given a third booster shot, which induced antibodies in all but three people who had blood diseases that impair vaccine efficacy.

In the study, which lasted for seven months, only eight patients, or 2.6%, developed mild cases of COVID-19. The researchers say the trial was small and non-randomized, so more research is needed to confirm it.

People on SSRI Antidepressants Less Likely to Die of COVID-19

A study out of the University of California San Francisco found that people taking a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), especially fluoxetine, were significantly less likely to die of COVID-19 than people in a matched control group. The data was analyzed from health records of 87 centers across the U.S. The data was from almost 500,000 patients, including 83,584 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and September2020. Of those patients, 3,401 were prescribed SSRIs.

We cant tell if the drugs are causing these effects, but the statistical analysis is showing significant association, said Marina Sirota, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics and a member of the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute (BCHSI) at UCSF. Theres power in the numbers.

The research found that patients taking fluoxetine (sold under the brand name Prozac and Sarafem) were 28% less likely to die of COVID-19, and patients taking either flueoxetine or fluvoxamine (brand names Luvox, Faverin, Fluvoxin) were 26% less likely to die. Out of the entire group, patients taking anySSRI were 8% less likely to die of COVID-19 than the matched patient control group. Other common brands of SSRIs include Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine) and Zoloft (sertraline).

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COVID-19 Vaccines Not Linked to Menstrual Changes; Possible Link Between SSRIs and Survival - BioSpace

Confirmed cases of COVID-19 have passed 253.9 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The number of confirmed deaths has now passed 5.1 million. More than 7.54 billion vaccination doses have been administered globally, according to Our World in Data.

The Czech Republic reported 11,514 new COVID-19 cases for 15 November, the fifth time daily infections have topped 10,000 in past seven days, health ministry data showed on Tuesday.

It came as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised against travel to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Iceland because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in those countries.

China administered about 6.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines on 15 November, taking its total to 2.396 billion, data from the National Health Commission showed on Tuesday. It also reported 22 new confirmed coronavirus cases for 15 November compared with 52 a day earlier, its health authority said.

Mexico's health ministry reported 775 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 57 more fatalities on Monday, bringing the country's overall death toll from the pandemic to 291,204 and the total number of cases to 3,846,508.

Russia will lift its COVID-19 ban on flights to countries including Bangladesh, Brazil, Mongolia, Costa Rica and Argentina from 1 December, the government coronavirus task force said on Tuesday.

Russia has also granted approval for Pfizer Inc to conduct clinical trials of its experimental antiviral pill to treat COVID-19 in the country, a state registry of medicines showed.

A ban on public sector employees entering their offices if they are unvaccinated and untested for COVID-19 took effect in Egypt on Monday as the government pushes to accelerate vaccination rates in the final weeks of the year.

Nigeria will start a mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign later this week, aiming to inoculate half of its targeted population by the end of January, government officials said.

Africa's most-populous country has a goal to vaccinate 111 million people to reach herd immunity.

Under the initiative to start on Friday, 55 million doses or more than a million a day will be administered. The country has to date vaccinated only 2.9% of those eligible to get vaccines.

The plan will see vaccine sites set up at private health facilities, universities, colleges, stadiums, motor parks and shopping malls among other venues.

Boss Mustapha, head of the presidential steering committee on COVID-19, said the government "has enough vaccines in the pipeline to vaccinate about 50% of the target population by the end of January 2022".

Daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases per million people in selected countries.

Image: Our World in Data

Two billion doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine have been supplied worldwide, the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker and its partner said on Tuesday, in just under a year since its first approval.

The shot, which is the biggest contributor to the COVAX vaccine sharing scheme backed by the World Health Organization, is being made in 15 countries for supply to more than 170 countries, London-listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University said in a joint statement.

AstraZeneca in June last year signed on India's Serum Institute, the world's biggest manufacturer of vaccines by volume, to help double the vaccine's manufacturing capacity to two billion doses.

In 2000, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance was launched at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, with an initial pledge of $750 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The aim of Gavi is to make vaccines more accessible and affordable for all - wherever people live in the world.

Along with saving an estimated 10 million lives worldwide in less than 20 years,through the vaccination of nearly 700 million children, - Gavi has most recently ensured a life-saving vaccine for Ebola.

At Davos 2016, we announced Gavi's partnership with Merck to make the life-saving Ebola vaccine a reality.

The Ebola vaccine is the result of years of energy and commitment from Merck; the generosity of Canadas federal government; leadership by WHO; strong support to test the vaccine from both NGOs such as MSF and the countries affected by the West Africa outbreak; and the rapid response and dedication of the DRC Minister of Health. Without these efforts, it is unlikely this vaccine would be available for several years, if at all.

Read more about the Vaccine Alliance, and how you can contribute to the improvement of access to vaccines globally - in our Impact Story.

The vaccine has faced challenges around efficacy data, supplies and links to rare blood clots.

AstraZeneca last week said as the world learns to live with the coronavirus which causes COVID-19, it would begin to earn a modest profit from the shot after having made a commitment to sell it at cost during the pandemic.

The company's chief executive officer, Pascal Soriot, however, reassured that low-income countries would continue to receive vaccines on a non-profit basis.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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COVID-19: What you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic on 16 November - World Economic Forum

Boston's Museum of Science is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for anyone age 5 and older this weekend.The clinic, which is in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cataldo Ambulance Service, runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.Museum officials say all appointments for this weekend were filled in a matter of hours due to the high demand for pediatric vaccinations.Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, was at the Museum of Science on Saturday to tour the clinic."This is really, you know, one more step back towards a normal, a healthy normal that we're all craving," Jha said. "We have 200 million Americans already vaccinated. I'm hoping it'll build more confidence in these vaccines."As a result, the museum will hold additional clinics next weekend (Nov. 20-21) to accommodate the high demand.The clinics are expected to provide pediatric vaccinations and adult boosters to more than 500 people per day, according to museum officials.Guests who receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the MOS clinic will be allotted two hours of free parking and two free Exhibit Hall passes.Preregistration is required for all Museum of Science vaccine clinics. Appointments can be found by clicking here. Vaccines will be administered in the atrium outside the Charles Hayden Planetarium and Mugar Omni Theater.According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, approximately 25,300 or 5% of the state's estimated 515,000 children who are ages 5 to 11 had received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 10.Worcester science museum opens vaccines exhibitIn Worcester, the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature has opened an exhibit on COVID-19 vaccines.Museum officials hope that the exhibit that opened this week will play a part in educating visitors about the COVID-19 and other vaccines, The Telegram & Gazette reported.Project Vaccine: Our Best Defense" also highlights the work of those who participated in the vaccination campaign.The exhibit includes interactive videos featuring medical professionals explaining what vaccines are, as well as one that explains the role truck drivers, nurses, community organizers and clinical administrators have had in the vaccination effort.Another video accompanied by tactile models teaches about the five different types of vaccines RNA, viral vector, live attenuated, inactivated and recombinant and their uses, from the scientists who worked on them.The exhibits are in English and Spanish, which was welcomed by Dr. Matilde Castiel, Worcesters commissioner of health and human services. The city's Black and Hispanic populations were the hardest hit by the pandemic, and those groups have the lowest vaccination rates, she said.The exhibit, designed for third graders to adults, will be open to the public until Feb. 27.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Boston's Museum of Science is hosting a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for anyone age 5 and older this weekend.

The clinic, which is in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cataldo Ambulance Service, runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Museum officials say all appointments for this weekend were filled in a matter of hours due to the high demand for pediatric vaccinations.

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, was at the Museum of Science on Saturday to tour the clinic.

"This is really, you know, one more step back towards a normal, a healthy normal that we're all craving," Jha said. "We have 200 million Americans already vaccinated. I'm hoping it'll build more confidence in these vaccines."

As a result, the museum will hold additional clinics next weekend (Nov. 20-21) to accommodate the high demand.

The clinics are expected to provide pediatric vaccinations and adult boosters to more than 500 people per day, according to museum officials.

Guests who receive a COVID-19 vaccine at the MOS clinic will be allotted two hours of free parking and two free Exhibit Hall passes.

Preregistration is required for all Museum of Science vaccine clinics. Appointments can be found by clicking here. Vaccines will be administered in the atrium outside the Charles Hayden Planetarium and Mugar Omni Theater.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, approximately 25,300 or 5% of the state's estimated 515,000 children who are ages 5 to 11 had received one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Nov. 10.

In Worcester, the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature has opened an exhibit on COVID-19 vaccines.

Museum officials hope that the exhibit that opened this week will play a part in educating visitors about the COVID-19 and other vaccines, The Telegram & Gazette reported.

Project Vaccine: Our Best Defense" also highlights the work of those who participated in the vaccination campaign.

The exhibit includes interactive videos featuring medical professionals explaining what vaccines are, as well as one that explains the role truck drivers, nurses, community organizers and clinical administrators have had in the vaccination effort.

Another video accompanied by tactile models teaches about the five different types of vaccines RNA, viral vector, live attenuated, inactivated and recombinant and their uses, from the scientists who worked on them.

The exhibits are in English and Spanish, which was welcomed by Dr. Matilde Castiel, Worcesters commissioner of health and human services. The city's Black and Hispanic populations were the hardest hit by the pandemic, and those groups have the lowest vaccination rates, she said.

The exhibit, designed for third graders to adults, will be open to the public until Feb. 27.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Museum of Science in Boston hosts COVID-19 vaccine clinic for ages 5 and up - WCVB Boston

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) The San Francisco Department of Public Health is expanding the booster shot eligibility to all adults 18 and older, provided they qualify based on the timing of the previous dose of vaccine.

On Saturday, KPIX met Shannon Scott at a vaccine clinic in the Bayview. She was there to get her booster shot.

I just decided today was the day, Scott said. When I found out they were giving them out here, I came immediately to get mine.

Per FDA recommendations, seniors, people with underlying medical conditions, people who work in long-term care facilities, and those who work in high-risk settings are currently eligible for a booster shot.

However, SFDPH does not want to turn people away from boosters as case rates increase in the city with the approaching holiday season.

We are taking an expansive approach to COVID-19 boosters, realizing that people are at risk of getting COVID or spreading it as we enter the busy holiday season, said Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax. We are already seeing an uptick in cases and that could mean hospitalization for some vulnerable people, even if they are fully vaccinated. We have been stressing that boosters are essential for higher-risk individuals but now its become apparent that we need many more people to receive a booster dose so that we can protect ourselves, our families and friends, and our community.

Dr. Malathi Srinivasan, with Stanford Healthcare, tells KPIX the booster is incredibly safe and very effective.

Winter is coming and a winter surge is coming unless we all take collective action, she said. Pfizer is the first out of the gate with the new vaccine data. It shows the booster reduces your chances of getting COVID by 95%.

A Walgreens in the Marina District was busy administering booster shots on Saturday.

My daughter came to get her booster shot today, said Paolien Hung, who lives in San Francisco. I think that its wonderful thing to do. Everyone needs to do it. Then we can move on with normal life. It works.

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Boosting the Booster: San Francisco Expands COVID-19 Vaccination Policy - CBS San Francisco