Yale doctor weighs in on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and pets getting the virus – WTNH.com

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) The United States has to get to 70 percent vaccinated by the 4th of July to avoid another COVID-19 surge says Dr. Anthony Fauci.

I think to stay ahead of the risk of a new surge in cases it makes sense that having as many people vaccinated as possible will be helpful, says Dr. Oneyma Ogbuagu, Yale medicine infectious disease specialist.

Doctor Ogbuagu points out that since we just started to vaccinate children there will be a heavy reliance on adults to get vaccinated to get there and it will require a lot of work.

Information is coming out daily on whether vaccinated people will need vaccine booster shots.Dr. Ashish Jha is Dean of Brown Universitys School of Public Health.

My mental model, at some point next year many will need them. I think its very, very unlikely well need it this year, says Dr. Jha.

The CEO of vaccine maker Moderna saying the first groups who got vaccinated back in December might need booster shots as early as September.

And Pfizer saying boosters for their shots might be needed 8 to 12 months after being fully vaccinated.

And now Dr. Ogbuagu says there is evidence that animals including dogs and cats can carry the virus.

Theres evidence that household pets, dogs and cats can carry the virus. Ive heard we should treat our pets as family members try to keep them indoors, try to keep them away from people who could be infected so that they dont return the disease back to the household setting.

He says as the virus travels from animals to humans theres a chance it can mutate and new strains can emerge. Animals can have vague symptoms, like humans.

Definitely you can tell from fatigued animal, maybe with gastrointestinal symptoms you know that animals do get sick, says Dr. Ogbuagu. He has not heard of any cases of animals dying from the virus.

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Yale doctor weighs in on COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and pets getting the virus - WTNH.com