Charts: Many Mass. residents arent stepping to get their COVID-19 booster shots – The Boston Globe

A person is considered fully vaccinated if theyve received two doses of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer or Moderna, or if theyve received one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Everyone 12 and older who has been fully vaccinated should also get a booster, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People are eligible to get a booster shot five months after their second Pfizer or Moderna shot, or two months after their Johnson & Johnson shot.

It is very important for people who are eligible to get boosted, Dr. Sabrina Assoumou, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and an attending physician in the section of Infectious Diseases at Boston Medical Center, said Wednesday. You need that booster to get to that higher level of protection.

DPH data shows that older residents have been more likely to get boosters. Seventy-six percent of fully vaccinated people who are 75-plus have gotten boosted. At the other end of the spectrum, only 29 percent of fully vaccinated 12- to 15-year-olds have gotten boosted. (Vaccines have been authorized for 5- to 11-year-olds but not boosters. No vaccines have been authorized yet for children under 5, though Moderna said Wednesday it would file an application for children 6 months to 5 years old.)

The states booster rate among fully vaccinated residents is better than the national average, which is 44 percent, the DPH noted in a report last Thursday.

But experts and officials say that a resurgence of cases and hospitalizations in the United Kingdom and other European countries underscores the need for more people to step up for vaccinations and boosters. Factors suspected of driving the trends in Europe include the lifting of pandemic restrictions, the waning of immunity from vaccinations and prior infections, and the arrival of the more-contagious BA.2 subvariant. Similar factors are at play in the United States, experts say. And recent data has shown BA.2 is on the rise nationally and in New England.

What happens in Europe tends to foreshadow what happens here, Assoumou said. The best way to be ready for a possible increase in cases ... is to first get vaccinated and boosted.

Assoumou said some people may not realize how crucial the booster shots are, especially for the elderly and people with underlying conditions. Other people may be hoping for protection from a prior infection, unaware that the CDC recommends they still get a booster. Still others may have problems getting time off to get shots or may worry about missing work due to side effects.

We need to get the word out there and also make it easier to get vaccinated, she said.

People may be confused by changing public health messages as scientists and officials have scrambled to cope with an unprecedented, unpredictable pandemic, she said. She noted one example of a confusing message: the official designation of people as fully vaccinated when they are supposed to get booster shots. She said she expected that in the future the definition of fully vaccinated would include the boosters.

The Biden administration is reportedly now pondering authorizing a second booster shot for people 65 and older, as BA.2 concerns swirl. Assoumou said it seemed like it would be a really hard sell lets get that first booster in.

Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Womens Hospital, said, The data from multiple countries strongly support getting a third dose [a booster] in particular for optimal protection against all forms of Omicron, including BA.2. This is particularly important for older people [anyone over 50] and those with multiple medical problems.

The good news its safe and rapidly provides protection, so its not too late, he said in an e-mail.

The state Executive Office of Health and Human Services said in a statement that Massachusetts is a national leader in vaccination rates and Massachusetts residents have ready access to vaccines, rapid tests, and therapeutics all the resources needed to stay safe from severe illness. The Administration will continue to work with the healthcare community and the federal government to monitor all of the latest developments.

The DPH advises people that they should get fully vaccinated and boosted; get tested if they think they have COVID-19; and talk to their doctor about treatments if they test positive.

Martin Finucane can be reached at martin.finucane@globe.com. Daigo Fujiwara can be reached at daigo.fujiwara@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @DaigoFuji.

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Charts: Many Mass. residents arent stepping to get their COVID-19 booster shots - The Boston Globe